Missing You
by Henka
Summary: Futurefic. Laley. Brathan. Naley. Brucas. One act of passion can change everyone's lives forever.
1. Prologue

**Missing You**

**By:** Sari

**Summary:** AU Futurefic. Laley friendship/relationship. Naley. Brucas. It started out as friendship, but some time between now and then you begin to realize you wish it was something more.

**Prologue: Where We Are Now**

Haley didn't mean to stroll down memory lane, but as she was cleaning out her closet for the last time taking out old remnants of her life that she had stored at her house for lack of space in the apartment she shared with Nathan she stumbled upon the old Haley. Some she missed the old Haley that liked cartoons and lying around on Saturday nights with her best friend cruising the TV until they reached something interesting on the History channel.

Nathan didn't know that she liked the history channel.

She picked up a red golf ball and smiled. She remembered the day that Karen drove into Charleston and took her and Lucas to their first miniature golf game. She remembered two excited preteens taking three weeks to turn the roof of Karen's shop into their own miniature golf park. She remembered the many conversations they had about life, the future, and their new found popularity. She remembered their life was kind of simple then.

She took out a sweatshirt, the one that matched Lucas's own. Keith had given both of them one when Lucas had the ingenious idea to make the pair a walking advertisement. Haley chuckled at that memory, a smile of nostalgia gracing her face. Next, was the basketball that had forever changed their lives. The basketball from Lucas's first winning game that he had given to her because she couldn't make it.

Haley didn't know whether to be angry or happy about that basketball. Instinctively, she knew she should be ecstatic. Without Lucas's popularity she would have never met and married Nathan. She would have never found her first female best friend in Brooke. She would have never met the close friends she had in Peyton, Jake, Mouth, and Skills. She would have never realized her potential at singing and would have regretted that decision for the rest of her life. It was because of that basketball, it was because of Lucas, that Haley had become the woman she was today.

It was just that on some days Haley questioned her life. She wondered what would have happened if Lucas had really quit basketball and decided never to go back. Would everything had played out in exactly the same way? Was her and Nathan's love destined or a product of the choices she had made? Would she had eventually gained popularity on her own and became Brooke's best friend?

Haley doubted it, so she guessed she owed her happiness to Lucas. Not too surprising, he was usually responsible for anything good happening in her life.

Sighing softly, not really knowing what her problem was today, she dumped everything into a large box she had brought with her. Picking up the box she shut off the light to her now bare room and closed the door as she exited.

"Hey, you got everything you need?" Nathan asked, looking up from the TV as she descended the stairs.

Haley nodded, choosing to ignore the response that had popped into her head. Instead, she pasted on a smile. "Yeah, I got it. I'm going to miss Tree Hill." She said softly.

"Hey, you should be a little bit more excited. We're moving closer to Lucas and Brooke." Nathan said.

Haley's smiled brightened. "Yeah, but we're moving away from the only home I've ever known. It's kind of sad."

"New chapter Hales, just look at it as a new chapter in our saga."

Haley turned off the lights and left her spare key on the front table letting Nathan close the door behind her. She looked up at her childhood home and prayed that whatever this next chapter brought, it would be nothing like what they had experienced in Tree Hill.

Even as Haley whispered that prayer, her subconscious told her it was about to get a lot more complicated.

* * *

"Cheery!" Brooke yelled loudly. "Hey! I know I'm not the only one living in this apartment. Where are you?"

"I'm in my office." Lucas called back, his voice muffled by the closed door.

Brooke stomped into his office and threw herself onto his lap. "I'm lonely out there all by myself, what are you doing in here?"

"Work Brooke, unless you want this studio apartment of ours to be sold to the next rich couple, I need to get this editing done." He said smiling.

"Thank the lord that Hales and Nate are moving into this building, I swear I need some company." Brooke complained.

Lucas pecked her on the cheek. "Give me one more hour okay? I really need to finish this." Lucas said.

Brooke rolled her eyes but nodded reluctantly. "Fine, I'm gone. It's like I was never here. Poof, Lucas, Poof."

He grinned. "Thank you Brooke."

"I'm not here." She reminded him closing the door behind her.

Lucas sighed, pulling the manuscript out again. He had to laugh at how his life ended up. Here he was one of the head editors at Random House Publishing and living with Brooke in the big city of New York. It wasn't what he had planned for himself, but it was what he had got. It had been up to him he would be playing ball for Boston right now, but his HCM had killed those dreams in high school. So, like any supportive brother did, he lived his dreams vicariously through his younger brother and settled on his next love. Reading. He had fell into editing after a life altering meeting with one of his professors at university. He had been offered the internship on a whim, and he had made his professor proud by impressing the folks at Random House to the point where they offered him a permanent position. It hadn't been Lucas's first choice at a life, but he was happy with what he did.

Frankly, it was a miracle that he and Brooke had lasted this long. During senior year she had broke up with him claiming that she had been in this relationship only for him. Then, after a brief stint with Peyton and a string of brief relationships for her, they had finally decided that they weren't happy when they were apart. Lucas chuckled at the memory of the day when they had finally figured it out. Their friends had been so excited that they had thrown them a party and invited half of their college. It was a day in UNC history that would never be forgotten according to the security guards who had to eventually break the party up.

One year later and here he was in New York and their relationship had reached a stand still. He had talked of marriage many times, but Brooke had always quietly let him down. She didn't believe in marriage because of her parents, was the reason she had given him. After being turned down so many times, Lucas had finally gotten the hint, he had not asked her again. It was kind of let down after so many years of fighting for their relationship that they couldn't get past that final plateau. Everyone told him that Brooke just needed time. Well, here he was and he was still waiting.

Looking down at the manuscript again, he flipped through the last couple of pages at the end and satisfied with his work he put it back in a file to take into work the next day. "Brooke" he called. "I'm done."

"And we're going to be late, you know there's terrible traffic this time of night." She said sighing. "Haley and Nathan are going to kill us."

"No they're not, it's fine. We were going to have to wait for Peyton and Jake to arrive anyway." Lucas said calming her down.

Brooke smiled. "The gangs back together again Luke, isn't this exciting?"

Lucas returned the smile, but didn't answer her. Instead he led her outside and into the car that the valet had brought around for them. Lucas didn't allow himself to think until he had finally gotten them a good distance to the airport.

When he did allow a stray thought to come through, all he could think of was: "the gang together again? It was just a formula for chaos and drama."

**A/N:** Will I ever finish _Warring Emotions_ or _And This Too Shall Pass_? Frankly, no clue. Oh, and yes, this is a Laley.


	2. Chapter 1: So Glad To See You

**Missing You**

**By:** Sari

**Summary:** AU Futurefic. Laley friendship/relationship. Naley. Brucas. It started out as friendship, but some time between now and then you begin to realize you wish it was something more.

**Chapter 1: So Glad To See You**

There comes a point in your life when you realize that the path you have taken, is not the path that you wanted to be on. When you get to this point in your life you have to make a choice. Do you stay on the straight and narrow or do you take the leap of faith, and make that plunge you never thought you'd survive.

Haley didn't want to make that plunge, but she didn't think that she could handle staying on the straight and narrow. She didn't even know what the plunge was she needed to make. All she knew was that her and Nathan's relationship had become too comfortable. Comfortable in the way that makes you think of old married couples who had been together for 75 years and now resorted to sleeping in separate bedrooms just to get through the day. She didn't want that for herself, and she loved Nathan enough that she didn't want that for him.

But, on the other hand, Haley didn't want to give Nathan up and then having it turn out to be the biggest mistake of her life. She could be just going through the motions of getting adjusted to her life with him again after being on tour again for several months. It could be because his basketball had just begun again and he was away a lot at basketball camp. It could be a number of reasons that Haley didn't want to explore.

So, after thinking in circles, she's going to stay on the straight and narrow. She chickens out again. Haley hated herself sometimes.

"Hey, penny for your thoughts?" Nathan asked her curiously.

Haley smiled at him, shaking her head. "It's nothing, just spacing out." She paused, a small smile on her face. "I did think my thoughts would be worth a little more than a penny though."

"Sorry no can do, I have to save our money since it seems like brother dear and Brooke aren't showing up." Nathan said glancing at his watch.

Haley surveyed the nearly deserted airport. They had been there for little over an hour and it was almost one in the morning, so the number of people that were traveling was close to nonexistent. It was also the week before Christmas and Haley figured that people were already with their families, and if they weren't, they wouldn't be flying in at one in the morning. She spotted two figures jogging down the main hall of the airport. Waving her hands at them, she caught their attention and got the pair to come over to her and Nathan.

"Oh my gosh, we are so sorry!" Brooke exclaimed. "Lucas got caught up in his editing and then there was traffic in the city…and then Jenny's sitter had an emergency so they couldn't leave…and I'm just so sorry!"

"Brooke, whoa, slow down!" Nathan said laughing. "It's fine, we don't have anywhere special to be I promise."

"Yeah I know…I just…" She blushed, and then chose to hug Nathan and Haley instead.

"Lucas, you going to be a stranger?" Haley said grinning widely at her best friend.

Lucas smiled. "No, of course not." He pulled her into a bear hug. "Haven't seen you in forever Hales…"

"Whose fault is that?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

Lucas shrugged. "Both of ours, this relationship is a two way street." He said chastising her gently.

Haley nodded. "Fair enough."

"So, to the car everyone? It's one in the morning, not exactly social hour." Nathan complained.

"Aren't you the one that chose this ticket?" Lucas asked his brother. "I wouldn't complain, this is your fault."

"I thought it said one in the afternoon." Nathan protested. "It was a mistake."

"Your mistake though." Haley said. "So you have to own up to the responsibility of having all of us iout on the streets in the way too early morning."

Nathan gave up, grabbing a bag and stalking off towards the airports exit. "Can we just leave?" He asked exasperated.

"Now he says that" Lucas said laughing. "Brooke, can you grab one of Haley's bags?"

Brooke did as she was told, fetching one of Haley's bags and then beginning to walk towards the exit as well. It left Haley and Lucas alone since the two were practically racing towards the car.

"So how are you?" Lucas asked Haley. "You're looking kind of down."

Haley shrugged, she didn't know why she thought she'd be able to hide her indecision from Lucas. He picked up on everything about her. He always had. "It's nothing, missing home already I guess."

"Yeah, it'll be like that for a couple of weeks but you have all your friends here, so you'll get adjusted pretty quickly. When Brooke and I first moved here no one was here to help us settle in and it was hell." Lucas said sighing. "You guys will have a lot of support."

Haley smiled. "Thanks, I'm going to need it, it's been weird settling into the non touring and Nathan's basketball."

"When does he leave again?"

"Right before Christmas." Haley whispered. "Argued with him about it, but he seems to think that its not a problem that he's going to be gone the day before Christmas."

Lucas winced. "Hales…I'm sorry."

Haley nodded. "Yeah, me too."

* * *

"I think I'm losing her." Nathan said quietly, waiting for Brooke to open the car. His eyes followed the silhouettes of his brother and his wife who were walking slowly towards them. They were still a good distance away, so Nathan thought it was safe enough to talk.

Brooke stopped. "Haley? Why?"

Nathan sighed. "It's just a feeling. She acts the same way most of the time but there are some days when she looks like she'd rather be anywhere but with me."

Brooke chucked. "Nate, you guys have been married since junior year of high school. So she's getting a bit tired of you, that's normal. You guys are only 22 and you've been married for five years."

"So I'm overreacting?" Nathan said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Yes, you're overreacting. I know you have that basketball camp to go to, but when you get back remind her why you guys got married so quickly. You're the love of her life, she's the love of _your_ life. You guys have to make it."

"What about you and Lucas?" Nathan said, still watching his brother and Haley.

Brooke sighed. "That's complicated. We might not actually be meant for each other."

"I think you're scared."

"I think you're right." Brooke agreed. "It's silly, but even now I can never really trust that Lucas is all there for me. He's always been so secretive about his feelings. He tells me he loves me all the time, but I don't feel like I have all of him. I think he's just settling."

"He can't still want Peyton." Nathan said incredulously.

"No, he just doesn't want me." Brooke said sadly. "I don't know what he wants…I don't think he knows what he wants."

"Did you ever think you were being paranoid? I know Luke has been through a lot of crap in his life, maybe he's dealing with those issues still and you're just getting those vibes."

Brooke shook her head. "I don't know about anything anymore. I haven't felt so insecure in my life."

"How about we help each other out" Nathan proposed, just as Luke and Haley made their way into the parking lot. "You talk to Hales and I'll talk to Lucas."

Brooke nodded. "Deal."

Lucas threw Haley's bags into the back seat. "Why the serious looks?" Lucas asked. "Did someone die that we should know about?"

Haley smacked him in the arm. "Don't joke about that!"

Lucas laughed. "Hales…still as serious as ever. But seriously, what's up with you two?"

"Nothing, we're tired. It's 1 AM Luke. So can you two stop acting like teenagers and get in the car?" Nathan complained.

He immediately regretted his remark when Haley dropped her hand away from Lucas and a frown appeared on Lucas's face. "Alright, whatever man, Brooke you want to drive?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah, I'll drive, and Nate why don't you sit up front with me." She said glaring at him.

They quartet piled into the car and took off, the streets were crowded even at the late hour but it seemed like that's how New York always was. They rode in silence for over an hour before Brooke spoke up.

"If you want to remind her why you're such a good guy you chose a pretty dumb way to show it." Brooke said annoyed.

"Hey, shouldn't we not talk about this right now?" Nathan whispered gesturing toward the back seat.

"Look for yourself, they're out cold." Brooke said.

Nathan turned around and a pang of jealousy went through him. Haley was curled up, practically on top of Lucas and Lucas had his arms around her. They looked content and perfect, they looked like they were meant for each other. Although her knew nothing was there he was jealous that the two of them still had that chemistry, even when they hadn't seen each other in months. He lived with Haley and he hadn't been that comfortable with her since they had first started going out.

"Don't you ever wonder about them?" Nathan asked, turning back around.

Brooke looked at him strangely. "No, Luke and Haley are best friends Nate."

"I know…I just…"

"Jealous of everything that even looks her way?" Brooke asked raising an eyebrow. "Nate, this is Lucas and Haley. They're so platonic it's scary."

Nathan felt uneasy about that statement, but let it go. He nodded and gave Brooke a reassuring smile. "Yeah…they're just friends and I'm being paranoid."


	3. Chapter 2: Losing My Way

**Missing You**

**By:** Sari

**Summary:** AU Futurefic. Laley friendship/relationship. Naley. Brucas. It started out as friendship, but some time between now and then you begin to realize you wish it was something more.

**Chapter 2: Losing My Way**

"Oh my god, come here! I haven't seen you in years!" Peyton squealed pulling Haley into a huge hug. "How are you? You have to tell me everything. I caught one of your performances on TV the other night."

Haley laughed. "Calm down Peyt, I'm here to stay so I have all the time in the world to tell you what's been going on. It's nice to see you too by the way. Weren't you supposed to be apart of the welcome wagon the other night?" She asked.

Peyton looked embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry about that. Jenny was not having a good day. We couldn't have brought her out there that late, you would have hated us for all the noise she would have made."

"Hey it's fine. How are you and Jake doing?" Haley asked stepping back so that Peyton could enter her and Nathan's new apartment.

Peyton grinned shoving her left hand into Haley's face. Sitting on her ring finger was a very nice diamond engagement ring. "We're engaged!"

Haley squealed loudly. "What? When? Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

Peyton shrugged. "He didn't ask me until last night. It's another reason why we couldn't meet you at the airport. You're the first person I've told."

Haley's eyes filled with unshed tears. "Well, at least one of us is going to have a happy ending."

Peyton looked confused. "What do you mean by that?"

Haley shook her head, silently berating herself for letting any of her insecurities slip. "Nothing, just out of all of us we've had some pretty rough times and I'm glad that one of us can finally say that we got what we wanted in life. You and Jake have been fighting that battle for so long and now you guys have finally settled down and you've done it together. It's just…it's nice."

Her friend looked at her strangely, and then gauging her looks she took her by the hand and sat her down in the living room among her sparse furniture. "What the hell is going on?" Peyton demanded. "For as long as I've known you it's been Nathan you wanted and yeah, you and Nathan went through some pretty tough times but you two have always been the storybook romance that everyone looks up to. You guys made it way before Jake and I did."

"Yeah, I know. Look, Peyt, nothing is going on." Haley insisted. "I'm just talking nonsense. It's something I do occasionally."

"The Haley I know doesn't do that." Peyton said still curious as to what would make Haley go on in such a manner.

"Yeah well, it's been a long time since anyone has seen the real Haley." Haley muttered. She ignored the strange look Peyton threw her way and pasted on a fake smile. Suddenly she was uncomfortable with Peyton's presence. Maybe it was the probing look she was giving her or maybe it was her own guilt she felt over not living up to her friends' expectations of her supposed fairy tale marriage, but she wanted this conversation to be over.

"Look Peyton, I'm sorry that I can't spend anymore time with you, but I just remembered I'm supposed to call my manager and have some phone meeting with him." Haley said, coughing politely. "My manager is a worry wart, he's going to hate that I called him late."

From the hurt look on Peyton's face, Haley knew that she had interpreted the excuse correctly as a gesture to make her leave. One more thing for her to feel guilty about, she guessed. Haley smiled apologetically before leading her out the door. Sliding down the doorframe until she was sitting forlornly on the floor, Haley put her head in her hands and cried.

Why couldn't life just become a little bit easier for her?

* * *

Why Brooke had decided to meet Nathan at the small coffee shop a couple blocks away from their shared apartment building was still eluding her. She had gotten up that morning to an empty bed and decided doing anything but staying in an apartment and confronting the fact that her relationship with Lucas was dwindling seemed good.

"So, how have I lived in the city for a lot longer than you and not known about this amazing coffee shop?" Brooke exclaimed taking a sip of her coffee. "I mean this stuff could rival Starbucks!"

Nathan laughed at her. "Brooke, come on, you and Lucas didn't explore the place when you moved here?"

"Well, it wasn't like we had all the time in the world to do that. Lucas got that editing job on a limb and he moved out here to pursue it. My clothing line takes just as much work. It's been hard trying to find anytime in between that for just 'us' time." Brooke said sighing.

"Hey, come on that's a weak excuse."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Please don't start with any inspiration speeches. Lucas and I have a problem. We know that, we're ignoring it for now. Leave it alone Nate."

"What about me talking to him? Are we ditching that plan too?" Nathan asked her.

"I don't see the point." Brooke whispered softly. "I know what the problem is; I just don't want to deal with it."

"Then what's the problem?" Nathan asked gently reaching across the table to take her hand in his. "Come on Brooke, I know we haven't been the best of friends…ever, but I'm here and I want to help."

Brooke just shook her head looking past Nathan into the streets of New York. "Has Lucas told you how many times he's asked me to marry him?"

"He's told Haley." Nathan answered her, eyes intently studying her face. "You always say no."

"It's what I've been waiting for so long to hear, you know? Lucas has always been that person for me, no matter what happened or what we were going through or who we were with. I could count on the fact that I would be that person to him and he would be that person for me."

Tears began to slip down Brooke's usually immaculate face and she brushed them away angrily. "And then one day I woke up and suddenly stopped feeling that way. It was like when Keith died and I felt like I was being in love for the both of us. That's why I haven't been able to say yes. I don't want to feel like I was the one he settled down with because it was comfortable or it was safe. I want to be the one he settled down with because he couldn't be away from me. Is that so much to ask for?" Brooke asked bitterly. "At least before I knew what I was fighting against. Now I don't even know what it is."

* * *

Haley knew the moment she stepped into Lucas and Brooke's apartment that she had finally come home. Not because it was cementing that fact that the people she had come to know as family were all living near her, but because she had realized a long time ago that Lucas was a part of her in a way that no one would ever understand, and to be near him and in that state of being where they understood each other on a whole different level made her feel like she was at home. She'd missed that feeling when she'd been on tour. She'd missed _him _when she was on tour.

He was sitting outside on his balcony when she stepped in his apartment. He and Brooke had put up a hammock when they first moved there; Haley had been on the phone when the two were installing it. She came up behind him and hugged him tightly, her arms wrapped around his waist. "Hey buddy" she whispered. "I need a friend."

Lucas removed her hands and pulled her down next to him so they were laying in each others arms in the small hammock. "You always have a friend in me." He whispered back. "What's wrong?"

"I feel like I've lost my way." Haley began, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I feel like when I find it, it won't be what everyone has expected of me."

"Is this about you and Nathan?" Lucas asked attempting to sit up.

Haley shook her head, pulling him down again so she could lay her head on his chest. "No, it's about me. On some level I know that's going to affect Nathan, but in the end it has to do with me."

"Hales…" Lucas started, but then trailed off looking confused. "I don't really know what to say." He admitted. "I don't know what the problem is."

Haley chuckled. "Yeah, I don't know what it is either. I'm just sad and I don't know why or how I'm going to fix it."

He turned to kiss her forehead, but instead Haley looked up and captured his lips. The kiss was slow and passionate, a testament to the days when it had been Lucas and Haley against the world. By the time they broke it, the tears Haley had been holding back were streaming down her face in a steady flow and she was breathing heavily. "Oh no…" She whispered softly.

"Hales…" Lucas murmured. "What the hell?"

Haley separated herself from his as fast as she could, getting up from the hammock and walking briskly to the door. She knew Lucas was following her but she couldn't handle what had just happened. Not now, not without turning around and doing something she knew would be against every rule in the book.

"Haley, don't walk away from what just happened!" Lucas called out to her, his voice pleading.

Haley whirled around facing the pain and confusion written all over Lucas's face. "I don't know Lucas, I don't know why I feel like that was the single thing I've done right in years, and I don't want to analyze that feeling. I just want to revel in it for awhile before everything comes crashing down and I realize that the kiss we just had, as beautiful as it was, is going to hurt my _husband_ and your _girlfriend_."

Haley opened the door and closed it behind her.

She had just kissed her best friend and it had felt like more than something for comfort, or something that happened on the whim. It felt like she had been living a lie the past couple of years and she was really in love with her best friend.

She didn't want to face that possibility.


	4. Chapter 3: White Paint

**Missing You**

**By:** Sari

**Summary:** AU Futurefic. Laley friendship/relationship. Naley. Brucas. It started out as friendship, but some time between now and then you begin to realize you wish it was something more.

**Chapter 3: White Paint**

When Nathan got home from practice that day he didn't expect to be hit in the face by the aroma of wet paint or see Haley sitting in a chair facing a wall. A plain white wall, with nothing on it, except for the hole Haley was staring into it.

"If you stare any harder you might shoot lasers out of your eyes." Nathan joked coming up behind his wife. "What's up?" He asked her.

She jumped out at his voice, a blush spreading quickly across her face. "Nothing, I just needed to think."

"So you had to pull up a chair in front of a good white wall?" He asked incredulously. "Hales, I know you got some weird traditions but this might take the cake."

Haley blushed harder. "When Lucas and I were little he used to brood a lot even then, so one day Karen took us into the only empty bedroom they had in their house and she handed the both of us a paintbrush and pointed to a can of white paint she had on the floor. Lucas and I looked at her like she was out of her mind because we were twelve and we thought she had gone off her rocker but she sat us down and told us that if we ever felt like it was becoming too much we should stare at a wall and transfer all of her problems onto it. Then, when we've sorted them through we take some more paint and paint it over in white." Haley giggled. "At the time, we thought it had some philosophical meaning that meant we would wipe away all of her problems but it was really a way for Karen to get Lucas and me to paint the guest bedroom."

Nathan laughed with her. "That's a clever way of getting you to do some work, but what was so overwhelming that you had to paint one of our walls white?"

She shrugged. "Life decisions, you know us musicians. We carry the weight of the world on our soldiers and then translate it into a song."

"Anything I can help you with?" Nathan offered taking off his coat.

Haley opened her mouth with the intention to decline, but then shut it and gave him a thoughtful look. "Actually there is."

Nathan looked surprised. "Alright, lay it on me."

Haley shifted in her chair, still staring at the white wall before posing her question carefully. "What made you realize you were in love with me?" She asked.

"Hales…"

"Nate, this would really help me." Haley pleaded.

"Alright, it was the little things I think. You were the only person who saw past my tough exterior. You actually cared enough to let me work through my problems without forcing on me your own opinions of how I should act. You let me become the person I am today without pressuring me to do so. I think I fell in love with you when I realized that you were the only person I wanted to be a better person for." Nathan said softly sinking down on his knees next to her.

Haley's eyes filled with tears. "That was beautiful."

He smiled embarrassedly at her. "Did it help you?"

Her smiled turned somber. "Yeah it did, thanks Nate. I'm going to go out for a little while, you going to be here for a while?" She asked him.

He nodded. "Everything okay?"

"Not right now." She said ambiguously. "But hopefully I can make it okay again."

* * *

Haley knew without a doubt that Lucas would be in his apartment when she got there. She knew from Brooke that Lucas worked mostly from home nowadays, always locked up in his office immersed in some manuscript he had to edit. Haley smiled fondly at that, if he wasn't going to do basketball then being an editor fit Lucas. He had always had that love for literature and the English language that only an editor could posses. 

A pang of nervousness went through her as she reached up to knock on the door. The choice she was about to make would hurt someone, there was no mistaking that, and Haley knew that she was hurting herself most of all, but you have to learn sooner or later that you can't just live for yourself. When you attach yourself to someone, they are just as much apart of you and effected by the things you do. She couldn't act on emotion because she wanted to, she had to think about the other people in her life. Nathan for one, and Brooke for the other.

She knocked once, and was surprised that Brooke pulled the door open before she could knock again. "Brooke!" Haley said in surprise. "I wasn't expecting you to be here."

Brooke started at her strangely. "I live here Hales, have for a while."

Haley glanced at her clock. "Yeah, but Luke said you're usually out during this time." Haley replied lamely, not wanting to sound like she didn't want to speak with her but knowing that Brooke would take it that way.

As she expected, a hurt look crossed Brooke's face. "Well, obviously you're not here to talk to me." Brooke said. "Don't worry Hales, I can definitely take a hint. I just stopped home for lunch anyway. Lucas is in his office. Good luck trying to get him out of there."

"Brooke...look I'm sorry, I didn't want it to come out that way." She tried apologizing. "This is just urgent, and I really didn't expect you to be here."

Brooke nodded. "Go talk to him Haley, you want to get together later tonight? We can have a night out with Peyton, haven't done one of those in a while."

Haley smiled gratefully. "I would love that, call me with the details."

Brooke nodded, waved slightly at her, and shut their front door. Haley looked down the long hallway and sighed inwardly. Now she suddenly wished she had talked to Brooke a little longer. At least it would have delayed the inevitable conversation she had to have with Lucas.

Haley opened the door to Lucas's office and stood their admiring him as he worked. He had been her best friend since that fated day when he saved her from the school bully and boy, had he grown since then. Tall, handsome, and endearing, she understood why girls had always been so drawn to him. But Haley, she had been drawn to him because she had seen his heart, and it was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.

"Hey, you going to stand there and stare at me all day?" Lucas asked her in his soft, inquisitive voice. "I'm beginning to think I'm one of those lab experiments you used to like so much."

Haley smiled. "I zoned out for a little bit, I'm sorry." She said sitting down on one of the chairs in his office. "How's the latest manuscript going?"

Lucas winced. "It's a young adult novel. I don't know why my boss sent it to me, but it's not my style so I can't really give it an objective opinion."

"Maybe he wants to broaden your horizons? Can't stay with the soul-searching literary fiction forever."

He rolled his eyes. "That's the only kind of fiction that matters." He joked. "But I know you didn't come here to talk about my work." His eyes grew serious. "Haley, what was that yesterday?"

"You just jump right into the serious stuff." Haley said weakly. "I don't know what it was." She admitted.

"Let me tell you what I think it was." Lucas offered, moving closer and taking her hand in his. "I think, it was something that was unique, beautiful, and perfect. I think it's something worth looking into, it's something worth fighting for."

Haley's eyes brimmed with tears as she looked into Lucas's eyes. His eyes were always so expressive, and now they were filled with love.

"I..." Haley trailed off, looking up at him. She sighed into his mouth as he kissed her, it started off slow and passionate, like the kiss they shared yesterday but quickly developed into something fierce and driven by lust. They both battled for dominance, until Lucas pushed her down into the loveseat and covered her body with his own. They only broke away for air, before he devoured her lips again and Haley had no choice but to let him take her to places she had only dreamed of.

Somewhere in her mind alarm bells were going off. Her moral center was screaming at her that this was wrong, that if she wanted to do this she couldn't hurt Nathan again and she couldn't let Lucas hurt Brooke again. So, reluctantly, she pushed him off.

"We have to stop!" Haley gasped, catching her breath and trying to ignore the hardness pressing into her thigh. "Luke, get off me, I can't...I can't think when you're on top of me like that."

He slid off her on to the ground next to the loveseat and settled his head on her thigh. "Haley that was..."

"Perfect." She finished for him sadly. "We're going to hurt someone." She said softly. "We have to tell them."

Lucas winced. "I'm going to break Brooke's heart again." He whispered, a pained look appearing on his face. "God Hales..."

She placed another kiss on his mouth, and then moved to kiss away the tears that were building behind in his eyes. With sudden realization she knew she still loved him, and always would. "Lucas..." she whispered. "We're doing this aren't we?" She asked.

He looked up at her with reassuring eyes. "We're going to do this, and we're going to do it the right way." He said with resolve.

Haley smiled in relief. "We'll do it together?"

Lucas smiled down at her, kissing her lips softly. "Always."

**A/N:** Okay, everyone this is a definite Laley. If you didn't realize that by now get your head checked. It's also going to be a pretty short fic as you may have realized. It'll probably only be 8 to 10 parts. It's not a large fiction piece like my other ones. This is just how I would like to see Haley and Lucas get together, because I think that they are perfect for each other. They wouldn't sneak around or anything, they'd do it the mature way and that's what I'm trying to convey here. The fact that you can be with the one you're meant to be with without losing your friends and family in the process. Of course there will be drama because I can't write a OTH fic without it, but it's not going to be some scandalous Desperate Housewives kind of drama. Okay, enough of my rants. On to the reviewing!


	5. Chapter 4: Two Kinds of Love

**Missing You**

**By:** Sari

**Summary:** AU Futurefic. Laley friendship/relationship. Naley. Brucas. It started out as friendship, but some time between now and then you begin to realize you wish it was something more.

**Chapter 4: Two Kinds of Love**

Haley had never felt so carefree in her life. Lucas had left to go on business over a week ago, but he had left her with the promise that they would tell their significant others, and they would tell them soon. It was the only thing that was keeping Haley from jumping on a plane and slamming Lucas into a wall and taking him right then and there.

She blushed a deep red at that thought. Thinking of other things to make her stop feeling so damned _hot_.

"Hey your back, Brooke called for you." Nathan said looking up at her. He looked at her face and couldn't help but notice how _happy_ she had looked the past couple of days. Happier than she had looked in a long time. "She's all messed up about Lucas being gone."

"I feel sorry for her, those two are never in the same area" Haley commented, heading towards the kitchen.

"Hey, she told me about that talk you and Lucas had before he went away, she said you looked like a woman on a mission. What was that about?" He asked curiously.

"Lucas helped me settle what was on my mind." Haley said simply. "It's nothing."

"Why couldn't I help you settle what was on your mind?" Nathan asked her, a jealous tinge creeping into his voice.

Haley picked up on the jealously almost immediately. "It was something you couldn't understand Nathan, just leave it alone." She said.

Nathan sighed, rubbing his temples. "Haley, something is going on with us."

"Just because I don't want to tell you about a conversation I had with Lucas? I thought you trusted me enough to give me a little bit of privacy."

He grabbed her arm, frustrated. "No, that's not it. We've been having this problem for awhile."

"And you thought it was the opportune time to bring it up right?" Haley asked sarcastically taking her anger out on him of being pulled out of her good mood.

He shook his head, dropping her arm. "Hales, it hasn't been the same between us since you got back from touring."

"Blaming it on the music again Nate?"

"Why are you being like this?" Nathan asked her incredulously. "What is wrong with you?"

Haley shrugged, looking away.

"I just want to make this work between us." Nathan pleaded. "Haley I love you, you know that, but it takes two of us to want this to work not just me. We've been distant with each other, we've avoided each other, it's like there is this huge wall and we're not communicating. I thought moving back near our friends would help because we'd have other people to talk to, but it has just made it worse."

For the second time in her life, Haley looked into Nathan's eyes and knew she was going to break his heart. She did it the first time when she got on that bus and went to New York with Chris Keller, and now she was going to do it again with his brother. The one person he trusted just as much as her. Haley felt like the biggest bitch in the world.

But sometimes, you have to do what is necessary to make yourself happy

"What if I don't want to make this work?" Haley whispered, tearing her eyes away from the hurt she knew would be in Nathan's.

She heard the small gasp Nathan made and forced herself to look up at him. "I've been thinking about it for awhile Nathan...I don't want to make this work between us. I don't think we're meant to be."

"Why?" He asked, his voice strangled. "What brought this about?"

Haley sat down on a bar stool in the kitchen and shook her head. "I can't pinpoint a certain event that made me realize it Nathan, but I was on tour and I was so homesick, I wanted to go home so badly...and home wasn't with you."

"So who is home Haley? Did you meet someone on tour? Have you been having an affair behind my back?" He yelled.

"I haven't been cheating on you Nathan, this isn't about someone else. This is about you and me. This is about how we don't have that spark anymore."

"There's no one else?" Nathan asked.

"It's not the point." Haley dodged. More than anything she wanted Lucas and Nathan to still be brothers when the dust settled.

"Then there is someone." He concluded. "Do I know who he is?"

"NATHAN FOCUS!" Haley shouted. "You wanted to talk about us, well I'm talking about us. I'm not talking about anyone else but you and me. That person didn't make me lose faith in us, _what we had _made me lose faith in us."

"I don't understand what the problem was..." He said softly. "I just thought we needed to reconnect. We had just gotten out of touch and we needed to make our way back."

Haley could feel his pain, but she had to stay the course. She had to do this for herself. "Sometimes, you love a person and you want to be with them and it's good for awhile and you'll think it'll last forever. Then you find out that this person doesn't complete you the way you thought they did, you find out that they are not the one that you see yourself with when you're growing old. That doesn't mean that the love you shared with that person doesn't count, it's just not the right type of love. Nathan, I love you, but I'm not _in_ love with you."

"Do you think you could have figured this out a little bit sooner?" He asked her bitterly.

"It's hard to choose between what's safe and what could potentially be a disaster Nathan." Haley countered.

"So who is it?" Nathan asked her again.

"Why does it matter?"

"I want to know why this guy is so special that you have to divorce me to be with him."

Haley weighed her options and knew she had to tell him. There was nothing she could do, but tell him.

"Lucas." She whispered softly. "I'm in love with Lucas."

Haley wasn't looking at him, so she didn't see the anger coursing through his face, but when he spoke she could hear it.

"I guess I should have known." He said darkly. "Lucas could never get his hands off my women."

"Don't do that Nathan." Haley said softly. "Don't take this out on Lucas, this isn't his fault. You know it isn't his fault. We were having problems long before Lucas and I ever reconnected. I would have realized we were over with or without him."

"My own brother Haley, you can't understand how that feels." He said. "Does he love you back?"

Haley nodded. "We were going to tell you and Brooke together."

"When?" Nathan asked.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" Haley asked pained.

"Just answer the damn question!"

"Before Lucas went away." Haley sighed. "Our talk we had...it was about this."

"That's why you've been so happy." He sighed. "I never made you that happy."

"You made me happy Nathan, I wouldn't take back the time we had together...but Lucas, he's my soul mate. I feel complete when I'm with him." Haley tried to explain. "Please don't be angry at us. Please don't be angry at Lucas."

"I need to get away for a while." Nathan said. "Real convenient that I have to go to camp anyway."

Haley gasped in sudden realization. "There's only a couple days until Christmas."

"Been so wrapped in Lucas you don't even remember what day it is." Nathan said sadly.

"Nathan..."

"I'm going to go stay with Jake and Peyton. Why don't you call the lawyers while I'm away? They can fax the stuff to me while I'm at camp."

"Nathan..."

"Merry Christmas Haley."

Haley wasn't surprised that she couldn't cry. "Merry Christmas Nathan."

* * *

Brooke sat on Peyton's couch shredding paper and being an all around wreck. She couldn't help it, it was how she always was when Lucas went away. His heart condition, her mistrust of him, she didn't know what it was be she couldn't stand being apart from him for more than a couple of days before it started to drive her crazy. 

"Brooke, come on snap out of it. He'll be back tomorrow. Chill out." Peyton said exasperated. "I can't deal with you and Jenny at the same time you know."

Brooke's eyes filled with tears. "Sorry, I know I'm acting way irrational but I just have this terrible feeling."

Peyton looked at her best friend. "Nothing is going to happen. He's fine, why don't you call him so that you can _hear_ he's fine."

Brooke smiled brilliantly. "That is a WONDERFUL idea. Peyton you're a genius."

Peyton laughed. "Whatever, just call him."

Brooke dialed Lucas's cell phone and squealed to herself when he picked up. "Hey Broody, how is Florida treating you?"

"Not as good as New York would be treating me. How are you?" He answered her.

"Missing you, what time are you coming in tomorrow?"

"You'll be at work. Around noon. I got car service coming, don't worry."

"Okay, I'll let you go I know you're busy working. I just wanted to hear your voice. I love you." Brooke said.

There was a slight pause. "Luke?" She asked.

"I'm here, sorry, I love you too. See you tomorrow."

She hung up the phone and sighed in relief. "Peyton you're a genius." She said again to her friend. "I just needed to be reassured that he was there and that he loves me. Thank you."

"Hey no..." Peyton trailed off as she heard the loud knocking on her door. "Oh for pete's sake. Jenny JUST went down for a nap."

She rushed to the door and pulled it open to a disheveled Nathan, "Nate, what the hell?"

"Nate what's wrong?" Brooke said jumping up from the couch.

She watched his face crumpled when he saw her. "Haley and Lucas are in love with each other.

Brooke's eyes widened and Peyton's mouth dropped.

**A/N:** Oh dear, now everyone knows. Since I'm such a bad updater I'll give you guys a double dose of chapters today!


	6. Chapter 5: Tired of Chasing After You

1**Missing You**

**By:** Sari

**Summary:** AU Futurefic. Laley friendship/relationship. Naley. Brucas. It started out as friendship, but some time between now and then you begin to realize you wish it was something more.

**Chapter 5: Tired of Chasing After You**

Brooke's body felt numb. After Nathan had blurted out that particular piece of news she had pretty much run out of Peyton's apartment with promises that she wouldn't do anything rash. She wasn't going to do anything rash; she just couldn't handle how badly her heart felt right now. She couldn't believe that Lucas was doing this to her _again_. How stupid could you be when you let the same boy hurt you time and time again?

She had to choke back a sob at that. She felt like a complete _idiot_. Brooke looked up from her stance on the couch when she heard the tentative knocking on her door. "I don't want to talk to anyone Peyton! Just leave me alone!" She yelled.

The knocking continued and Brooke was forced to get up and answer the door. She immediately wished she hadn't when she saw who was there. She snorted in laughter. "Either you have the worst timing in the world or Peyton called you." She stated, opening the door wider and restraining herself from hitting the redhead in front of her.

Haley looked confused. "What's wrong?" She asked. "I was going to go pick up Lucas and I just thought I wouldn't hurt to see if you would be here." Brooke scoffed at Haley's sweet, innocent smile. She wanted to slap that smile right off her face.

Instead, Brooke smiled agreeably. "Yeah, I called off work on a whim. Let's go and pick him up."

They were silent until they reached Haley's car. "Hey Brooke, it's been really awkward between us lately, and just now I could practically feel the ice radiating off of you. What's up?"

"Let's pick up Lucas first." Brooke suggested firmly. "It's nothing, I just had a bad day at work and I'm missing Lucas."

"Well he's back today!" Haley said cheerfully, starting up the car.

On the way to La Guardia airport, Brooke kept silent trying not to blow her cover before Lucas arrived. She hadn't stayed long to hear Nathan's explanation for what he had said, but from the destroyed look on his face she knew he hadn't been lying. What reason would he have to lie anyway? Haley was his wife, he loved her. Too bad she didn't love him and that Lucas didn't love her, she thought bitterly.

"Brooke? We're here." Haley said nudging her slightly. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"As good as I can be Tutorwife." Brooke said, the old nickname slipping out and bringing about a pang of nostalgia and regret she didn't want to feel.

"Oh there he is!" Haley said pointing out the mop of blonde hair; Lucas obviously didn't have time to cut while away in Florida. She waved him down and he came over, placing a chaste kiss on both of their cheeks.

"How are my girls?" He asked jovially.

"We are great, aren't we Brooke?"

Brooke nodded, feeling slightly sick to her stomach. "We're great."

"How come you're here honey?" Lucas asked. "I thought you were at work, not that I'm disappointed or anything."

"I wasn't feeling too well so I decided to surprise you instead."

"Well I'm surprised." Lucas said. "Let me grab my bags and we can go to the car."

Brooke watched detached at Lucas and Haley's interaction and kicked herself for her stupidity. Granted, she didn't see them together often enough because of her and Lucas's conflicting schedules but even being with them for the ten minutes it took to gather Lucas's luggage and walk back to Haley's car the emotions that the two held for each other were practically sky written over their heads. They weren't hiding it at all. Lucas had always worn his heart on his sleeve and every emotion played out on his face. The emotions she saw when he looked at Haley were love and adoration. She could actually feel her heart breaking as she watched them.

Sitting silently in the backseat, Brooke couldn't help the tears that gathered at the corners of her eyes and spilled over ruining her makeup. She kept her head bent to hide them, but she didn't hide them fast enough.

"Brooke what's wrong?" Lucas asked in alarm. "Hey, hey, what are you crying for?"

She smiled bittersweet at him. "I'm crying because I can't hate you." She whispered. "And you don't know how badly I want to hate you right now."

He looked confused. "Brooke?"

"When were you going to tell me that after all these years you still couldn't love me like I wanted you too?" She asked him. "When were you going to tell me you were in love with Haley?"

Lucas's face paled and Haley's foot must have slipped on the gas pedal because the car jerked sporadically before she got it under control again. "Who told you?" He whispered.

"Nathan." Haley answered for her. "Nathan told Brooke. That's why you looked less than thrilled to see me today."

"I didn't want you to find out from a second hand source." Lucas sighed, running a hand over his face wearily. "I'm so sorry Brooke."

She nodded, not able to see him through the tears. "Yeah, I know you're sorry. I'm sorry too." She said looking out the window. "I helped right? I kept pushing you away until you found someone else. Figures you'd find Haley, you didn't have to look far she was always there."

They lapsed into silence; the only sounds were Brooke's soft sobs. Lucas spoke up, his voice quiet and laced with regret. "I loved you for such a long time Brooke." He told her, eyes cast down. "I loved you from the first time you showed up in the back of my car with no clothes on and throwing yourself at me. I thought you were the craziest girl I had ever met; I thought I had to be the luckiest guy on the planet to catch your attention. And when we finally got together, I messed it up, and when we got together that second time, we both screwed up." He paused, a small smile gracing his sad features. "When we got together again in college I finally thought it was the right time, that it was finally our time to make it, but you kept pushing me away and making excuses because you were frightened that I wasn't all there."

He held a hand up as Brooke started to speak up. "I know you thought that I wasn't there, and I might have given you that impression but I was always there for you Brooke. You've been the only girl I've thought about in years. It hurt so much when you turned down my proposal the first time. The second and third hurt just as bad. Brooke, I was waiting for you to come to me and tell me what was going wrong but you didn't, you just gave me some excuse so I decided to wait. I thought I would always wait for you."

"I've always loved Haley, and when she kissed me…I felt what I felt the first time I saw you in my car. The feeling that I lost a long time ago and I liked feeling like that again Brooke. I liked feeling that someone could put all their trust and love in me, and I retuned it. Can you understand that Brooke? I didn't mean to hurt you, but it's been so long since there was any real love between us."

"What do you want me to say to that?" Brooke asked brokenly. "You make it seem like I was the only problem in our relationship and I wasn't. You were just as much to blame as I was. If you knew how insecure I felt about our relationship then why didn't you say something? Why didn't you try harder to make it work between us?"

"I've been chasing you a long time, Brooke" Lucas said. "But you've never chased me."

Brooke sighed, she couldn't argue with that. "I feel like I didn't even stand a chance. Once you and Haley got together it was over between us wasn't it? You don't turn down something like that for me."

He grabbed her hand. "This isn't about who is better Brooke, this is about who was right. Haley's right for me now."

She nodded; she couldn't do anything but nod. She had nothing to say. Lucas was right in everything that he had said. She had practically thrust him into Haley's arms. "Alright." She finally said. "You win Haley."

"Brooke" Lucas's eyes were filled with pain.

"Don't look at me like that." Brooke ordered, wiping away her tears angrily. "Don't look at me like that, I _can't handle that_. I need to be alone. I need to be out of this damn car. Are we there yet?" She asked finally addressing Haley for the first time."

Haley nodded, pulling into the parking garage of the group's apartment. "Brooke…if it means anything to you, I wish it hadn't come to this."

They all piled out of Haley's SUV and faced each other; the incredulous look on Brooke's face spoke volumes. "Haley please, if you really wished this hadn't have happened you wouldn't have kissed Lucas. You would have thought about me and my feelings and kept your goddamn hands to yourself." Brooke yelled.

Lucas tried to intervene but was quickly pushed out of the way by a beyond angry Brooke. "It took me a long time to forgive Peyton for going behind my back with Lucas and we've been friends since birth. I've known you for what? 6 years? Do me a favor and forget you ever knew I existed." She hissed.

"Brooke!" Haley tried. "I'm sorry; I can't help who I'm in love with!"

"And I can't help who I hate." Brooke countered. "Just stay out of my life."

**A/N:** I can't believe the majority of the chapter took place in a car. Lol. Don't worry guys, the Brucas interaction and the Laley battle isn't over just yet. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.

**Next up:** Nathan and Lucas have it out…Peyton throws in her two cents…and Lucas has a medical emergency.


	7. Chapter 6: At the End of the Day

**Missing You**

**By:** Sari

**Summary:** AU Futurefic. Laley friendship/relationship. Naley. Brucas. It started out as friendship, but some time between now and then you begin to realize you wish it was something more.

**Chapter 6: At the End of the Day**

Haley and Lucas lay in bed together basking in each other's comfort. Haley couldn't sleep she was too wired from the emotionally charged afternoon they had, but Lucas had been drawn into almost a comatose state as soon as his head hit the pillow. Knowing he wouldn't be able to get sleep like this in a long time she stayed in bed with him stroking his hair and hoping that the little peace they had created would last the rest of the day.

She sighed almost in frustration when she heard the insistent pounding on her door, reluctantly pulling away from Lucas. He groaned at the loss of contact and she smiled down on him, content in the fact that even though they had such a terrible response from their significant others they hadn't let it effect their relationship. She slipped on a robe over her night clothes, closed the door to her bedroom, and padded softly to the front door of the apartment she and Nathan had just moved into.

"Peyton." Haley sighed, opening the door. "This probably isn't a social call."

Peyton smiled sadly. "I went to Lucas's, but Brooke told me both of you would probably be here."

"Lucas is sleeping." Haley said gesturing towards the closed door of her bedroom. "The conversation with Brooke really tore him apart. You can tell Brooke she succeeded in making him feel like the worst human on Earth."

"He kind of deserves to feel that way." Peyton gently reminded her. "This is the third time he's done this to her."

"Yeah, the first two times he did it with you." Haley snapped back, not in the mood to defend their choices, at least not without Lucas by her side. "Is this why you came here? To tell us you disapprove of our choices? Well take a number."

"Maybe we shouldn't scream about this in the middle of the hallway?" Peyton asked.

Haley stepped back, inviting Peyton in. "Peyton, I'm not in the mood to talk about this."

"Neither am I, but you two been there for me when no one else was and I just wanted to get the story from you before I let Brooke poison me against you two." Peyton started. "We've been friends for too long to not give each other the benefit of the doubt."

"I don't see what we can really discuss." Haley replied. "Lucas and I made our choices, now we have to live with the consequences. If that means losing Nathan or Brooke then that's how it's going to be. I'm not going to apologize for trying to find my own happiness."

"I'm not asking you to take back what you did." Peyton assured her. "I just want to make sure you're positive about what you're doing. That this isn't something that you're mistaking for love."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You and Lucas have been friends for a really long time. You two have a friendship that the rest of us have been envious of for years. I'm sure it was easy for the two of you to slip easily over that line from friendship to lover because of that trust you've developed over those years, but how do you know that what you two have isn't comfort over the fact that your relationships have been going down hill? How do you know that in a couple of weeks or months you two won't wake up one day and realize that you're really only friends?"

"You're right Peyton." Haley said looking her straight in the eye. "It's easy for me to get into a relationship with Lucas because we've been friends forever and we're pass that stage where we could ever be awkward with the other, but I'm not with Lucas because we're friends, I'm with Lucas because every time I kiss him or hold him it feels like it is the only thing in the world I ever want to do. I never felt like that with Nathan. I never felt like my survival was based on his happiness. I feel like that with Lucas."

"Why now?" Peyton inquired. "Why all of a sudden do you feel like that?"

Haley snorted. "It's not all of a sudden, I've been hiding behind Nathan for years. I've had a crush on Lucas since before I knew what a crush was and if I had really analyzed my life I would have figured out that it was Lucas I was in love with and not Nathan. I realized it while I was on tour that I didn't feel that way for Nathan when a reporter asked me what I missed most and I didn't say him. I told the reporter I missed my home, and my home has always been with Lucas. Even when I was with Nathan, I told him that my home was with Lucas. It's one of the reasons that we moved out here, because I was unhappy being so far away from him. That isn't platonic feelings Peyt, that's not being able to live properly without being with someone."

Peyton's eyes were filled with tears. "And Lucas feels the same way?"

Haley nodded. "We wouldn't hurt Nathan or Brooke for a fling, this isn't something that's going to last a couple of weeks. I plan on making it last forever. I feel like I'm suffocating when he's gone Peyt."

Haley watched her friend anxiously, looking for a sign of understanding and almost sighed in relief when she saw Peyton tentatively smile at her. "I guess I can understand the need to be happy, it would have just hurt Nathan and Brooke worse if you two had stayed with them out of obligation. Better to hurt them now than to make the situation worse."

"Thank you Peyton." Haley said sighing. "Thank you for trying to understand."

"I do understand. Lucas is a catch, he's a great guy. You two were always a good match, I'm not surprised that this happened. I guess on some level I always knew it would." Peyton giggled. "Lucas was never all there when we went out and at the time I thought it was because he really needed to be with Brooke, but the truth is he needed to be with you."

"I wish Brooke could see it as clearly as you. I don't want to lose Brooke as a friend over this and I know it's killing Luke to have hurt her. He loves her, just not in the way." Haley insisted.

"Honestly, Luke has more of chance at being forgiven than you do." Peyton admitted. "I don't think Brooke can ever truly hate him. She loves him too much to hate him, that's why this is killing her. Plus the knowledge that she practically pushed him into your arms isn't making it any better. Give her some time, she needs to digest this and get her bearings back."

Haley nodded. "I know."

Lucas took that time to enter the living room dressed to leave. "Peyton! Hey!" He crossed the room and bent down to give Haley a quick kiss.

She waved. "Speaking to your new girlfriend."

His expression dropped. "How is Brooke?"

"Not happy." She said simply. "Are you going over there?"

"I'm making my rounds." He said. "I thought I would go see Nathan first."

Haley made a sound. "You think that's wise?"

"Above all else Nathan is my brother. I need to at least have the opportunity to explain myself before he decides to hate me." Lucas said. "It'll be fine."

"Let me walk you there?" Peyton offered. "I'm going to go check in on Brooke again."

Lucas shrugged in agreement. "Yeah sure."

* * *

Lucas pressed his forehead to Haley's, kissing her tenderly on the nose. "I'm going to try and fix this." He promised her. 

Haley smiled, but her eyes were filled with doubt. "There are some things you can't get past."

"You really got some balls." Nathan laughed bitterly, opening the door wider to let his brother in. "Who am I kidding though? You've always been the noble one. It's probably eating away at you that little brother is in such a state and it's all your fault."

"Nate." Lucas said softly, shaking his head. "Let's not act like this."

"Let's not act like what?" He asked his brother angrily. "Mad? Bitter? Don't I have a right to be a little angry Lucas?"

"You have more than a right." Lucas acquiesced. "But figure out who you're angry with before you start lashing out."

"I know exactly who I'm angry with." Nathan mocked, taking another swig of beer. "You and Haley, the two people I trusted most in the world fucking around behind my back."

"We weren't 'fucking around' behind your back Nathan." Lucas said. "We kissed, we felt something, and we acted."

"Without any regard for anyone but yourselves."

Lucas nodded. "You're right, we were selfish. I'm not going to argue with that. But we didn't set out to hurt you and we told the both of you as soon as we realized that what we had done was not something that could be brushed underneath the rug."

Nathan looked into his brother's earnest eyes and hated that Lucas was probably hurting just as bad as he was. That's what made it so incredibly hard to be angry at his brother because he knew that Lucas didn't do things intentionally to hurt anyone, the guy was such a bleeding heart that he couldn't handle doing something intentionally to hurt anyone. So logically, Nathan knew that Lucas was telling the truth when he said he could have helped it.

"It hurts you know." Nathan said sitting heavily on Peyton and Jake's couch clutching his beer. "Knowing that I couldn't be what she needed. I keep asking myself what you have that I don't."

Lucas inhaled sharply. "I don't have anything that you don't have Nate, please don't think that way."

Nathan smile was bittersweet. "Our relationship ended a long time ago, I just didn't want to see it."

Lucas shrugged. "I can't know that."

"When we first got here, I asked Brooke to talk to Haley for me. Try to rekindle the spark we lost." Nathan admitted. "I guess by then I was too late."

"It takes two to make a relationship Nathan, it's not only your fault." Lucas said.

"Did Haley feed you that line? Try to apologize for her?" Nathan asked him, the bitter tone back in his voice.

Lucas shook his head. "I can't apologize for Haley, I can only apologize for myself."

"Apologize for what?" Nathan asked him. "You only took what was already broken." Then, to Nathan's horror tears started to slip down his face. "I hate this." He managed to get out.

Lucas went to his brother, and was surprised when he accepted the comfort. "You're going to find someone that deserves to be with you, and she'll make you the happiest person in the world."

"Haley did that." Nathan replied.

His brother smiled. "And it'll happen again. What you and Haley had was special and you'll never get that back, but you'll find it again with another girl and this time it'll last."

Nathan sighed. "I hope so man." Awkwardly, Nathan pulled himself out of the embrace.

"Are we cool?" Lucas asked him hopefully.

Nathan raised his fist, knocking it with his brother's. "We're getting there."

Lucas stood up. "What about Haley?"

Nathan sighed. "I need some time."

Lucas nodded. "Okay, thank you Nate."

Nathan raised his eyes. "For what?"

"Forgiving me."

"You're my brother Luke, and at the end of the day, you're still going to be my brother."

Nathan didn't expand and he didn't have to. Lucas knew exactly what he meant.

Lucas's face contorted suddenly in pain. "Oh god, Nate…" He gasped suddenly. "Call 911"

Nathan looked at his brother's face in surprise. "What the…Lucas?"

"Hospital." His brother managed to choke out grabbing at his chest. "I don't know…why…."

He whimpered and then blacked out.

Nathan looked down at the unconscious form of his brother and panicked.

"911 please state your emergency…"

"My brother is having some type of heart failure. He has HCM." He yelled into the phone.

"Okay calm down sir, where are you?" The operator asked briskly.

Nathan rattled off his address. "Please hurry, he's unconscious."

"Try to wake him up, and keep him awake." The operator instructed him. "Can you do that?"

Nathan nodded. "Yeah, I…"

"Stay calm and the ambulance will be on its way."

Nathan numbly shut his cell phone, taking his brother's hand in his and silently sat down and prayed.

**A/N: **Reviews are always welcome!

**Next up:** Lucas in the hospital and Brooke blows up.


	8. Chapter 7: I Know What You Are

1**Missing You**

**By:** Sari

**Summary:** AU Futurefic. Laley friendship/relationship. Naley. Brucas. It started out as friendship, but some time between now and then you begin to realize you wish it was something more.

**Chapter 7: I Know What You Are**

In general, hospitals frightened her. It didn't take much to guess why, what was there about them to like? This is where people came in and never left. It was where doctors delivered the more often than not bad news. It's where people's lives were destroyed and blown apart. It was where people _died_.

Obviously, Brooke wasn't a glass half full kind of girl. It's not like she had a lot of reasons to hate the hospital. She wasn't Peyton who has been to a hospital too many times to count or Lucas who had been in two accidents. So no, she didn't hate the hospital for personal reasons. She hated it because hospitals signified changed, and with her life currently in shambles Brooke couldn't handle change.

"Hey, I got here as soon as I can! What's going on?" Brooke asked Peyton who was sitting with Jenny in the emergency room. "Nathan just told me to get here but he didn't tell me anything else."

Peyton sighed, rubbing a hand along her tired looking face. "Lucas had some kind of…heart attack I guess when he was leaving to go see you."

Brooke's world suddenly got very dim and then like a bad dream everything came into startlingly sharp focus. "Is he okay?" She managed to whisper.

Peyton must have noticed Brooke's sudden lack in color because she quickly stood up and maneuvered Brooke into the sit beside her. "He's fine Brooke, the doctor said he was just having too much stress and his heart couldn't handle it. We're just waiting for him to wake up."

Brooke let out a sigh of relief. "Can I go see him?" She asked, not bothering to wait for an answer she was already making her way to his room. She faintly heard Peyton calling after her, but she ignored it and continued to his hospital room.

She stepped inside and froze. "Haley." She muttered in disdain. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see you here."

Haley looked back at her calmly. "No Brooke, you shouldn't."

"I'm not going to leave." She replied stubbornly.

Haley rolled her eyes. "I wasn't going to ask you to."

"Don't think that if you're nice to me it's going to gain you any points." Brooke told her.

"Honestly Brooke, I'm worried about Lucas waking up not about our petty, insignificant problems."

Brooke's eyes narrowed. "Sometimes I don't even think you feel bad for what you did."

Haley looked at her incredulously. "You're not going to let this go are you?"

"You sit here playing the part of the grieving girlfriend when you're really a home wrecking bitch."

"Brooke, I know it's hard for you to do but could you for once in your life think of someone else but yourself? Lucas is lying in a hospital bed fighting to wake up and I doubt he needs to hear you bitching."

"How in hell were we ever friends?"

Haley sighed. "An accident, apparently. A fluke of nature. But you fixed that didn't you, we no longer are."

Brooke got up, angry with Haley and angry with Lucas for putting her though this mess. "Maybe you'd like to pass along a message to Lucas when he wakes up. I'm not going to sit around with you and be miserable."

"What?" Haley asked sighing. "What is so important that I have to give him a message from you? If it's another 'go fuck yourself' monologue, I really would rather you find Peyton or someone else to bitch to."

"Tell him I'm pregnant." Brooke hissed, enjoying the look on Haley's face. "And tell him he's most definitely the father."

"You're joking." Haley whispered a pained expression on her face.

Brooke couldn't help the vindictive smirk that graced her face. "No, I'm not. I guess everything isn't going to be all sunshine and roses for you two."

Haley's eyes filled with tears. "What is your problem Brooke, why can't you just accept defeat? Why do you have to make sure everyone feels as much pain as you? You're such a selfish bitch!"

"Because I went and got myself knocked up just to screw with your happy little dream world." Brooke replied sarcastically. "It takes two to make a baby Hales. You were the valedictorian of our class, you should know that."

"Are you keeping it?"

"I'm not getting an abortion to make you happy."

"What do you expect from Lucas?" Haley asked her. "You think he's going to ditch me and marry you?"

"You know what I know about Lucas?" Brooke started. "I know that he grew up without a father and had to go through being teased every day of his life for being the bastard child his father didn't want. I know that he had to go through each and every day looking at the perfect family his father built with someone else. I know that Lucas vowed never to turn into Dan Scott. So you tell me, _what is he going to do_?"

Hot tears coursed down Haley's face and in a pained whisper she made her feelings about Brooke perfectly clear. "I think you're the biggest manipulative bitch I've ever seen in my life, and frankly, I hope all the bitterness and hate you have inside of you turns you into some miserable old hag who will always be longing after something you can't have."

Brooke smiled. "It's always nice talking to you Haley."

"Go to hell Brooke."

"I am in hell, and you put me there."

"No, you put yourself there. You rejected him time after time and then expected him to always be there. Grow up Brooke; you don't always get what you want in life."

Brooke gave her a half-hearted finger wave. "I usually always get what I want."

* * *

Haley had been in Lucas room for about a half hour after Brooke left when she first saw signs of Lucas waking up. Her hand was in his when he squeezed it weakly, and it was enough for Haley to press that call light and have his nurse rush in. 

"I think he's waking up." Haley said, eyes brimming with tears.

Sure enough, in a few minutes Lucas was moaning softly and his eyes fluttered open. Startling blue eyes, dull with the effect of the drugs they had him on. The nurse ran out to get the doctor leaving the two alone.

"Hey buddy." Haley whispered. "How you feeling?"

"Like shit." He managed to mutter. "What happened?"

"You had a heart attack." Haley told him. "I thought you were going to die."

"And leave you?" He said smiling. "Never."

Haley couldn't stop the sob from working its way up her throat, Brooke's angry words echoing through her head. "I don't want you to leave me. Ever."

"Not if I can help it Hales, I love you too much to leave you."

The doctor walked in at that moment. "Mr. Scott, I just need to ask you some questions if that's okay."

Lucas nodded. "It's fine."

"Can you tell me where you are?"

"A hospital. I'm not really sure which one." He answered.

"You're at Manhattan General."

Haley slipped out the room as the doctor continued his assessment. She had forgotten to tell the others that he was awake. She found Peyton, Nathan, and Brooke sitting in the waiting room down the hall. "Hey how is he?" Peyton asked her.

Haley smiled. "He just woke up; the doctor is assessing him now."

Peyton sighed in relief. "Thank god. I was getting worried, it's been so long. Can we go see him?"

"I guess when the doctor is done." Haley said. "He's going to come out here and talk to us I think. Did you get in touch with Karen?"

"Yeah, she sends her love and is trying to find tickets. She said she'd call later on."

Haley nodded. Actively avoiding even looking at Brooke she turned to Nathan. "Did you call Deb?"

"Yeah, she sends her love too." He replied, his voice soft. "I sent her to go look after Karen."

"Thank you, both of you. Nathan, you especially."

"Lucas is my brother." He responded. "It's the only reason."

Haley winced; obviously that was a slight against her. "Regardless, thank you. It means a lot."

He nodded, looking away from her intense stare.

"The family of Lucas Scott?" The doctor asked them.

Haley nodded. "Yes, that's us."

"I'm Dr. Bailey, Lucas is recovering extremely well, and we just want to keep him overnight for observation. The heart attack was most likely stress related, I'm going to recommend changing his medication for his HCM, it seems like the one he has isn't working like it should. I'll write a prescription for a new drug, but he will see some new side effects. Probably he might experience a decrease in his usual energy level. It won't be anything too drastic."

"Thank you." Haley sighed in relief. "Can we go and see him now?"

"Of course, but remember that his stress level needs to stay as low as possible for the next couple of days to give him time to recuperate." She warned the group.

They nodded, and she made her exit from the family waiting room. Haley watched her go, and then turned to face the group. "I don't want you to visit him." She told Brooke directly.

Brooke looked up in surprise. "Excuse me? Who the hell are you to tell me who I can and can not visit?"

"I'm the girl who's looking out for the man she's in love with. The doctor said no stress and I'm making sure he doesn't get any. I don't want you near him Brooke or so help me god you won't live to talk about it."

Brooke rose from her seat and slapped Haley soundly across the face. "Don't you dare threaten me! Why can't I see him Haley? Frightened you won't be able to keep him anymore?" She taunted.

Peyton jumped up and took Brooke's hand. "Brooke, leave it alone. For once, just _leave it alone_."

Nathan had done the same to Haley, holding the fuming girl back. "Haley why don't you go see Lucas. Tell him Peyton and I will be by there soon and that Jake is going to bring Jenny to see her Uncle Lucas."

Haley stomped off angrily. "Fine, I'm leaving, but I'm serious about this. If she comes anywhere near his room I'll have her thrown out of this hospital."

"Oh don't worry Haley; I'm not going to visit Lucas." Brooke told her sweetly. "I don't need to wait until he's incapacitated to get him back from you. I can do it any time I choose."

Haley shook her head in disbelief. Not even recognizing the bitter girl that Brooke had become.

**A/N:** Has it been a while? Yes. Is there a reason? School.

**Next up:** Brooke falls into a downward spiral. Haley takes care of Lucas.


	9. Chapter 8: Maybe Things Can Get Better

**Missing You**

**By:** Sari

**Summary: **Futurefic. Laley. Brathan. Naley. Brucas. One act of passion can change everyone's lives forever.

**Chapter 8: Maybe Things Can Get Better, Maybe Things Will Not**

When you're barely 23 years old and have had as much life experience as Brooke has had, you learn that when you are in your worst possible moment there is always something out there to make it _that _much worse. Brooke was waiting for that worst thing to come, but until it did, she would hide out in bars and rue the day that she ever met Lucas Scott, Haley James, or was even born for that matter.

She realized that she was being a petty bitch towards Haley about halfway through the argument they had in Lucas's hospital room. It didn't make her any nicer towards her though. Haley got what was coming to her, and if Nathan and Peyton wanted to side with Haley then it was fine, Brooke was used to being alone. She'd been alone all her life. Tears pricked her eyes as she thought of that. She was lying to herself. She hadn't been alone in almost six years. Peyton, Lucas, Haley, Nathan, and even Jake had become her family and she was losing all of them one by one.

Brooke was used to being alone, that was true, but she hated being lonely.

"I'm almost positive this seat isn't taken." A deep voice said, interrupting her decidedly depressing thoughts. "We missed you at the hospital."

Brooke sighed. "Actually Nathan, I'm pretty certain you did not. With Haley making me a social outcast I doubt anyone cares if I live or die."

"What happened back there?" He asked her. "That's not the Brooke Davis I know."

"The Brooke Davis you know is too busy drowning herself in vodka to reply." She muttered bitterly. "I don't want to talk about it."

He looked at her with the penetrating glare he must've picked up from Lucas. "I miss him." Brooke said softly. "I shouldn't, and I'm not going to get him back, but I miss him."

"Brooke…" Nathan started sympathetically.

"Stop it right there." Brooke said, a wall slamming back up around her feelings. "Don't you feel sorry for me. I don't need pity from you."

Nathan immediately apologized. "I want to help Brooke, but I don't know how."

Brooke gazed into her shot glass. "You can order me another drink." She finally decided.

Nathan did as he was told, watching Brooke's eyes. She seemed to come back to herself and stared back at him, daring him to say whatever was on his mind.

"Why do you want Lucas back?" Nathan asked her.

"I don't." Brooke said truthfully. "Not in the way Haley thinks I do."

Understanding dawned on him. "Your friendship?"

Brooke couldn't look into Nathan's eyes. "After we dated the first time in high school and broke up, Lucas and I developed a friendship. He was good to me, there for me, and he supported me. I want that Lucas back. I want the guy who was the first person to believe in me, no strings attached."

"Why can't you just tell Haley that?" Nathan asked her.

"Because I shouldn't have to." Brooke replied. "It's none of her business. It's not my problem that she's jealous of what Lucas and I had. I want to fix things between Lucas and me, not Haley. I don't care about Haley. She's dead to me."

"Brooke…"

"It's the truth. We won't be the same again, and I don't want to be the same again. She made her choices and now I have to make mine. I have to look out for Brooke."

"I can understand that." Nathan finally said after a long bout of silence.

Brooke nodded. "I know. It's different for you because Lucas is your brother, he's your family. I don't have that connection with Haley."

He looked to her with grateful eyes. "I forgave Lucas."

She smiled. Her first real smile since the mess had started. "I'm glad. You and Lucas worked so hard to get where you were."

She hesitated a moment, looking at Nathan curiously. "I shouldn't be drinking this." She said carefully.

"You shouldn't. Alcohol never helps." He agreed with her.

"Not because of that, I shouldn't be drinking this because it's bad for the baby." Brooke said.

His eyes widened. "You're pregnant."

Brooke nodded.

Suddenly, his face looked doubtful. "I don't know if I should be sorry or happy for you."

"I don't know if I should be sorry or happy for myself either. Here I am: 23 years old, pregnant, and alone. I don't think there's anything else life can throw at me to make it any worse." She paused. "Well, Lucas could be a total jerk about it. I guess that could make it worse."

"That's Saint Lucas you're talking about, he could never turn his back on you." Nathan said with conviction.

Brooke smiled. "Saint Lucas? Yet he can sleep with his brother's wife without a problem."

A pained expression appeared on Nathan's face and Brooke was immediately sorry. "That was out of line Nathan. I'm sorry. Blame it on the hormones."

Nathan managed to smile at her. "It's okay."

"It's not, but thank you for saying it is."

He merely nodded, opting to take away her shot glass and order her a diet Pepsi instead. "You shouldn't be drinking alcohol." He chastised her.

Brooke sighed, reaching up to tie her dark brown hair back. "I hate diet Pepsi."

"I think you're going to have to get used to hating it."

"I could get used to hating you too." She snapped.

Nathan just smiled. "Can I take you back to the hospital now?"

"Now I _really_ hate you."

"You have to face them sometime, and now is just as good a time as any."

"What do you think Lucas will say?" Brooke asked him. "If Haley hasn't told him already."

"You told Haley before you told Lucas?"

"I kind of threw it in her face." Brooke said sheepishly. "I was angry with her. I thought it would hurt her."

"It did?"

Brooke smiled at him sadly. "What do you think?"

"Brooke…"

"I know it was a terrible thing to do, god you don't know how much I don't want to take that whole damn conversation back, but she's getting what I've always wished I could have with Lucas. Excuse me for being a little bit pissed off."

He stood up and reached for her hand. "You have every right to be pissed of Brooke, but maybe that's not the best way to go about being pissed off."

Brooke reluctantly stood up and followed him to the curb where he hailed a taxi. "I don't want to go back to the hospital."

"But you are." He said gently.

Brooke sighed. Hating herself for being pregnant and hating Lucas even more for being the father. "But I am."

Nathan made her comfortable before telling the driver where to go. She stared at his thoughtful expression and waited for whatever advice he decided to give her. "You know why I called Lucas a saint?" Nathan asked her.

"Not really. If he's a saint I don't want to know how the sinners act." Brooke answered him truthfully.

"Lucas is a good guy." Nathan said softly. "And you know I'm not the one to usually sing his praises, but he is, and I can understand that what he and Haley did was something that neither of them expected and that neither of them wanted to hurt us with. When you tell him he's going to be there 100 percent because that's how Lucas is, and he's going to make you feel special, and you guys are going to get through this."

Brooke wiped away tears. "How'd you know I needed to hear that?"

He shrugged. "I'm your friend Brooke, always have and always will. Over the years you pick up a few things."

"Thank you." She whispered. "For being here with me."

* * *

Haley sat by Lucas's side watching him sleep. The nurse had come in with a round of medication and then warned her that the combination of pills would make Lucas very drowsy. He had been out within a couple minutes of receiving the medication. All that was left now was Haley and her thoughts which were currently centered on a certain brunette who had done nothing but make her life a living hell. She was pregnant. _Pregnant_! Haley might have well thrown in the towel now. Brooke had been right in so many ways. Lucas was a good guy, he was a good friend, but no matter how old they were or how far away from Tree Hill they moved he was always going to be that little boy no one would play with because he was the child that the powerful Dan Scott didn't want. And no matter how long it had been since his death the man still had the power to reduce Lucas to his knees. 

Haley would kill Dan if the evil tyrant weren't already dead.

She heard movement from the bed and pasted on a smile over her weary features. "Lucas, honey, hey how you doing?" She asked him softly, grabbing on to his extended hand.

"Tired." He managed to murmur. "You look like shit."

Haley smiled. "No sleep will do that to you."

"Go home then." He said a serious look in his eyes. "I don't want you to get sick looking after me. I'm just here for observation anyway."

"I don't want to leave you alone."

"I'm never alone. I can just think about you and I'm not alone." He told her smiling. "I'm fine Haley, I promise if I feel like dying I'll have Nate or Peyton call you first."

"You better." She joked. "You'll be okay?"

"I'll be great."

"Okay." Haley bent down and kissed him softly on the cheek. "Okay."

"Okay." Lucas mimicked. "Go Haley."

"I'm going!"

Haley was grinning as she left the room, glowing in fact; Lucas always had that effect on her even when they hadn't been dating. It was a ability he had with everyone, he could just make any stressful situation perfectly fine and you wouldn't even notice it until minutes later when he's grinning and you're grinning and everything is one hundred times better than it was before.

Of course she didn't really expect that feeling to last when she ran into Brooke and Nathan at the elevators.

"Brooke." Haley said in distaste. "Hey Nathan."

He managed to give her some semblance of a smile, but Brooke was a whole different story. She didn't want to try to decipher what was going on inside her head.

"No one is with Lucas right now, I think Peyton went back home to be with Jake." Haley started. "If you two want to go and stay with him I think he'd really like it. You know that—"

"—Lucas doesn't like hospitals." Brooke finished for her. "We know Haley."

Haley nodded. "Okay." She let out a loud breath. "Okay, if anything happens—"

"—we'll call you." Nathan finished.

"I'm being overprotective." Haley said laughing nervously. "I'm sorry."

Haley watched Nathan and Brooke have some type of conversation with their eyes before they both turned back to her. "Why don't I walk you to your car? You're a mess and it'd make me feel better."

Haley was surprised, but grateful. "Thank you Nathan."

"Brooke you'll be okay?" Nathan asked the brunette. Haley didn't want to look into the concern that was written all over his face.

"I'll be fine." She reassured him.

Haley had a feeling that something big was going on. She just wished she knew what it was.

* * *

Brooke entered Lucas's room quietly, hoping he was already awake so she wouldn't have to wake him. He was, and she suddenly wished he wasn't. That meant that she would have to tell him and she didn't know if she could. 

"Hey Cheery." Lucas said quietly smiling at her.

"Hey Broody." She said falling into the easy routine that they once had. She shook herself, it wasn't easy and they couldn't fall into a routine. They had to move on and start something new. Hopefully, they'd do it together.

"Are you going to stand at the door the whole time staring at me or are going to come in?" He asked her, a teasing note in his voice.

She smiled, the special one that only he could bring out and walked in, taking the chair that she knew Haley had been in these last tense hours. "How you feeling Broody?"

He shrugged. "Like I got hit by a train. How are you feeling?" He asked, perceptive as always.

She shrugged. "Like I got hit by a train."

He smiled. "We can feel bad together?" He suggested.

"Depends on how you take the news." She said.

He arched an eyebrow. "What's going on Brooke?"

She fidgeted, twisting her hair around her index finger and focusing on every point in the room except for him. "Haley thinks I'm a horrible person." She said.

He looked confused. "What? No she doesn't."

"Yes she does, and she has a right to, because when I get mad I stay mad and I turn into this horrible person I don't recognize. Especially when it has to do with you." Brooke admitted.

Brooke watched the confusion on Lucas's face grow. "Brooke I don't know…"

"Let me talk okay." She interrupted him. "Then you can yell, because I know you're going to yell."

Lucas stayed silent and nodded.

"Earlier today when you first got here I was going to your room because Nathan just called me and Peyton told me what happened and I was so worried. I needed to see if you were alright and then Haley came in being all high and mighty and just so…Haley and I snapped. We were horrible to each other and I needed to hurt her as much as she had hurt me so I used the only leverage I had against her."

"What'd you do Brooke?" Lucas asked softly, surprisingly no anger in his voice.

"I told her I was pregnant." She whispered.

Lucas struggled to get into a sitting position. "And are you?" He asked.

She nodded, brown eyes filled with pain and tears. "Yes."

"You're pregnant with my baby." Lucas said something akin to awe in his voice.

She nodded again. "I'm sorry." She said. "I wish I wasn't. I wish this whole big epic saga could just close but it's not."

He smiled at her. The smile she had seen on TV shows as a little girl. "You're pregnant with my baby." He murmured again. "Brooke we're having a baby."

"You don't seem mad. You're supposed to yell." She insisted.

"Why would I yell? Brooke you're going to be the mother of my child. My beautiful boy or girl is growing inside of you right now." Lucas's voice was filled with unshed tears. "I'm going to be a daddy."

"You're happy." She stated in disbelief. "I didn't think you'd be happy."

"Why?"

"God why would you be happy?" Brooke asked, tears streaming down her tanned face. "Brooke the girl who you tried to get to settle down since we started dating and when you finally find a girl who will commit to you I go and mess it up by getting pregnant. I hated that we broke up Lucas, but what we had was good while it lasted and I'm going to treasure that forever, but I don't want you to feel like you need to break up with Haley to be with me and this baby. I'm not going to use her to bring you back to me. I don't even want there to be an 'us'"

He stared at her. "Cheery, I love you."

"No you…"

"I love you." He said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed so that he could reach over and cover her mouth to prevent her from saying anything else. "I'll always love you and I'm going to love this baby because she's a part of us. I'm not going to love her out of obligation; I'm going to love her because I have no choice but to love anything that came from you. I may not love you romantically Brooke, but I do love you."

Brooke closed her eyes. "I thought you wouldn't anymore." She said softly. "I was so afraid you wouldn't want anything to do with me now that you had Haley."

"I thought it'd be too painful for you." Lucas said. "I was going to keep my distance."

"We both assume too much."

"Yeah" He agreed, "we do."

"What about Haley?" Brooke asked.

"Haley's going to have to decide whether she can deal with it." Lucas said simply. "I'm going to be a part of my child's life."

"What if she can't handle it?"

Lucas sighed sadly, but squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Then it wasn't meant to be."

**Next up: **Jumping forward in time, Brooke and Nathan are spending a lot of time together while Lucas and Haley are not.

**A/N: **Honestly, this chapter took so long because I didn't know what direction I wanted this fic to go in. When I originally started I said that it was going to be 8 to 10 parts long. That's not going to happen with the direction I'm taking this story. It seems like it's going to be another novel length story because of the depth I'm trying to reach here. I've never written a serious OTH piece before. It's always light and fluffy stuff that gets the easy resolution and the happily ever after or it gets the textbook lying, cheating, and the eventual resolution that seems cheesy and played out. I decided that I wanted to make this real. I wanted this to reflect how life really is. Relationships are complicated, mistakes are made, and love doesn't always prevail. I'm not saying that there isn't going to be a happy ending for Lucas and Haley or there is going to be one for Brooke and Nathan. I just know that it's going to be complicated and filled with emotions that are bound to happen. Just look at the situation:

Brooke and Lucas want to go their separate ways but they can't because they have a history that undeniably pulls them together and now they're going to have a baby to raise. Brooke and Nathan are feeling chemistry that neither of them understands, and both being hurt by the people they considered family, can handle right now. Haley and Lucas have to try to deal with a new relationship and the stains of past relationships, past feelings, and the pressures of what everyone expects of them. They did this to themselves and now everyone is waiting for them to fail, even if they seem as if they're supportive. It's more than enough to deal with for everyone involved.

Oh and review!


	10. Chapter 9: Something New

**Missing You**

**By:** Sari

**Summary: **Futurefic. Laley. Brathan. Naley. Brucas. One act of passion can change everyone's lives forever.

**Chapter 9: Something New**

_**Two Weeks Later**_

"You didn't have to do this." Brooke insisted watching helplessly as Nathan painted the wall of her new loft.

He gave her a look and Brooke couldn't help the blush that spread over her cheeks. "Were _you_ going to do it?" He asked raising an eyebrow. "You shouldn't even be in here. Paint fumes are bad for the baby."

"I'm keeping you company!" Brooke protested. "Do you not want to talk to me?"

Nathan leered at her. "I want to talk to you all the time."

Brooke giggled. "Nate, seriously, I wake up and you're painting in my house. What's the meaning of this?"

"I thought I'd do a friend a favor." He said seriously. "You've been complaining about your bare walls all week.

"I know, I know…" Brooke sighed. "I really shouldn't be complaining should I?"

Nathan laughed. "No."

Brooke tilted her head. "How'd you know what color I wanted?"

"Brooke you've been complaining about your bare walls _all week_. I listen."

The brunette couldn't help the rush of emotion at Nathan's simple words. "Okay." She said softly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now leave me to work!" He said shooing her out the room. "I'm not going to be responsible for that baby being deformed!"

Brooke left the room with a small smile on her face. It had been a hectic two weeks. After her and Lucas's conversation she had felt so much better about her situation. She no longer felt as if she was alone in this. She had Lucas who swore on his life that he'd be there until the end…and she believed him. He'd come through for her so many times that she couldn't do anything but put trust in him. It helped that he was overly excited about their baby. She hadn't been in the beginning, but Lucas's attitude was becoming contagious.

Brooke had decided the same day that she told Lucas about the baby that she would have to move out of their apartment. She needed to distance herself from everyone and that meant moving out of the building where everyone was literally a floor away. Nathan had pulled through with his connections to numerous people because of his celebrity status and gotten her a loft nearby, but far enough that she didn't feel claustrophobic, and then she had promptly given everyone (except Haley) a key to her apartment.

She went back to unpacking her clothes in her new walk-in closet and couldn't help thinking about how much of a support system Nathan was being. He was always available to talk to her and he'd been her only confidante about all her feelings in the last two weeks. Not even Peyton knew how scared she was about striking out on her own after being in a relationship so long. Brooke didn't know how to be single, but if she had to be, she was glad she was single with Nathan.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice Nathan standing behind her, so when she turned around she almost fainted. She smacked him when he began to laugh. "Hey what was that for?"

Brooke glared. "Being a jerk! I'm pregnant and you're trying to scare me to death. Some uncle you're going to be!"

"Speaking of the little Scott, when's the next appointment?" He asked.

"Tomorrow" Brooke said distracted. "Lucas is taking off work to come with me." She beamed proudly. "I think we're handling this situation pretty well."

"You guys are pretty solid, and so soon after World War III happened. I'm impressed." Nathan said.

Brooke nodded. "I guess this pregnancy thing is forcing me to wake up real fast. I got to be an adult here; it's not high school or college anymore. I'm thinking for two. Lucas…he's apart of that."

Nathan smiled. "I'm really glad things worked out between you two."

"Yeah, it's good to have my buddy back. Even if he's shacking up with Tutorbitch." Brooke said frowning.

Nathan laughed. "She hasn't been a tutor in years."

Brooke shrugged. "I guess I'm falling back on old habits. I don't know."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence and Brooke continued to put clothes up in her new closet. When she turned around again Nathan was gone so she decided to go in search of him. "Nate?" She asked. "Hey where'd you go?"

"I'm in the nursery." He called.

She smiled as she walked in. "You're really too excited about this." She said laughing.

He was sitting on the floor seemingly lost in space, but once she entered the room he quickly smiled and patted the seat beside him. "Hey, come imagine with me."

She giggled but went to sit beside him and let him take her hand in his. "Okay close your eyes." He said.

She looked at him strangely but did as she was told, letting him take her hand and draw tiny circles on it with his fingers. "What are we doing Nathan?" She asked amused.

"Alright, so you know how the room looks right? Well imagine baby pink walls with moon and stars border going around the top and bottom of the room, then an off-white crib in the left hand side with pink bedding and those cute moon and stars pillow cases we saw in the store the other day. Okay? Then in the middle of the room we have a white rug to cover up the wood floors and on the left side of the room we have a rocking chair for you plus a changing station and wardrobe to stash clothes in. Sound good?"

Brooke's heart swelled and suddenly she was feeling the same excitement that Nathan was feeling. She imagined herself taking care of her perfect little girl in a room built for a princess and she couldn't help the tears that welled up in her eyes as she opened them and looked at Nathan with complete awe. "I love it." She whispered. "You have so much faith that it's a girl though, what if it's a little Lucas and not a Little Brooke?"

He shrugged. "Its paint Brooke, I can always do it over, but I just have this feeling that I'm going to have a little niece."

"I don't know how I'm going to ever thank you Nathan." Brooke said squeezing his hand. "You've done so much for me in the past couple of weeks; I don't even know how I would have survived without you."

Nathan's faced turned serious. "It just feels like the right thing to do you know? I feel like this is where I belong right now."

"With me?" Brooke whispered uncertainly.

A loud sigh escaped Nathan and he repositioned himself so he was facing her. "I know it seems weird and strange and like everything is moving really fast, but yeah, this is where I want to be. Here thinking up plans for a nursery with you and the baby that isn't mine. And I'm fine with that because I love my brother and I love anything that two great people like you and him are going to have. Maybe there's a reason why he fell for Haley and why Haley and I are no longer together. We're not meant to be and I'm meant for someone else. But you know what? I don't even want to question it. I just want us to keep on going like we're going and when it becomes awkward or weird then we'll stop. But until then we just let things happen okay?"

Brooke's eyes were round in surprise, never thinking that one day she would be contemplating anything with Nathan but here he was and here _she _was and she realized with clarity that she didn't want to jeopardize whatever it was they were building.

"Okay." She said looking at him. "We'll let things happen."

Nathan grinned. "Okay, then why don't we naturally do lunch? It's 12 and I'm hungry."

Brooke rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm. "You give me this heart felt speech and then you talk about food. Honestly, I don't understand guys."

He laughed. "You weren't meant too." He stood and then extended his hand out to her. "So come on, I know this great restaurant down the street…"

* * *

Lucas stared at the manuscript in front of him lost in thought. He'd been out of the hospital for a week and a half and life had gone back to normal in theory, but in reality it had not. A month ago he and Haley had changed the lives of everyone but actually acknowledging the feelings they had for each other for years, and in the long run he knew he was happy about that because it wouldn't have been fair to anyone he was dating because he could have never given them his full heart. It had taken him almost losing the friendship he had with Brooke and the love of his brother to realize that he couldn't keep on hurting the people around him because he was afraid to pursue a relationship with Haley.

Now things were even more out of order. With inhuman speed Brooke had packed up her things and moved out having found a loft in the same area but out of their building. It was a necessary thing. Haley in turn had moved into his apartment and had filed for a divorce from Nathan. It was still pending but the mutual dissolution of the marriage was going to make it go through faster than usual. They expected the whole ordeal to be over within the week.

So things were getting better, but things were also getting worse. Brooke's pregnancy had seriously thrown a wrench in Haley and his relationship. Lucas could never regret his own child, but he did regret that Haley was feeling hurt about it. He knew her so well that she didn't have to communicate to him that she was in pain; he could see it in her face and in her movements. The problem was she refused to talk about it. They had been distant for days besides the usual inquiries into his health. It was driving him nuts.

Now he was sitting at home waiting for her to come home from a recording session and he was going to get her to talk if it was the last thing he did.

He heard the door shut and the keys being thrown on the counter before Haley's full head of red hair poked itself into his study to announce herself. "Hey, you busy?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I'm getting nowhere with this manuscript. It's all a bunch of existentialist crap basically. This guy is a self absorbed prick."

She giggled. "Nice to know what you think of those struggling writers out there."

Lucas shook his head. "I love the struggling writer. The pretentious ones who think they should get published simply because they have a degree in English? I have no love for them."

"How about lunch?" Haley asked. "If you cook, I'll watch." She waggled her eyebrows.

He laughed. "That sounds so tempting. Me doing all the work and you watching."

She giggled again. "Isn't it always that way? You have like a world famous cook for a mom, you automatically cook better than me. Why torture us both when I have a mini-chef waiting at home for me?"

He laughed and got up. "Let's go to the kitchen Hales."

"Thank you, I'm starved."

They settled into an easy rhythm. Haley setting the table and preparing the salad while Lucas did the real work, the actual cooking of the food. He was stirring the sauce for the spaghetti when he finally decided to break the unintentional silence. "Hales, it's been almost a week since we did this." He mentioned softly. "I was starting to think we weren't going to be able to be comfortable around each other again.

Out of the corner of her eye he saw her wince. "I just had to put some things in perspective." She said. "It didn't have anything to do with you."

"You were putting things with me in perspective, so it actually did have something to do with me." He reminded her gently.

Haley nodded. "I know, but you didn't do anything and it would have been a waste of time to talk about it."

"It's never a waste Hales. I love you. That is a fact that is not going to change, but if we're going to do this and make it you got to let me in. You shut me out and it was like my world got dimmer. I can't handle that Hales." Lucas sighed. "When you hurt, I hurt. When you're confused, I'm confused with you. I don't want you to have to put anything in perspective alone."

Lucas wiped away the tears that had escaped. "I was scared." Haley admitted.

"I know" Lucas replied softly. "You were scared I was going to leave you for Brooke."

"You love her too." She pointed out. "It's plausible."

"I love her like a best friend." Lucas contradicted her. "It's nothing more than that, and just because we have a child together it doesn't mean it's going to change that. I love you and I want you."

"She's carrying your child Lucas." Haley said voice heavy with tears. "You guys are going to have a connection that I'm never going to be able to touch."

"I don't know how else I can explain to you that just because I have a child doesn't mean it has to change anything between us." Lucas said weakly.

Haley pulled away from him, struggling to combat her tears. "I didn't think it'd be this hard."

Lucas's voice grew empty as he realized what was happening. "Haley why are you breaking up with me?" He asked.

"I'm not. I just need some time, and I'm going away to record a couple songs with this really good producer in California this weekend for a week and it's the perfect time." Haley hurried to say. "I'm not breaking up with you."

Lucas's eyes were solemn and he gave her a twisted shell of a smile. "You're running away." He said bluntly. "Do you want me to stop you? Is that what you expect? Because I don't know if I can or if I even want to."

"If you want to?" Haley asked eyes narrowing. "What does that mean?"

"The bottom line, Haley, is that Brooke and I are going to have this child and we're going to have that connection. It's going to be there two days from now, one month from now, and eighteen years from now. It doesn't matter if you take a couple days to think about it when you come back the situation is going to be the same. Running away doesn't solve anything; it just shows that you don't have the courage to fight for what we have. And what are you really fighting Haley? Yourself? Because I can't fight for the both of us. I won't be the only one fighting for us. I'm tired of having to fight." Lucas voice broke. "Haley I can't take another relationship where I'm the only one that cares."

Haley's eyes were filled with tears, but they were also filled with resolve. "I need some time." Haley said. "And if you're not waiting for me when I get back, then you're not waiting for me. But I need the time to myself."

"And you can't tell me why?" Lucas asked her.

Haley smiled ruefully. "I can't even tell myself why. All I know is that all of a sudden my life is changing and it's not as easy as I thought it would be and I need some time to figure it all out."

He sighed, taking the pot off the stove and serving their lunch. His eyes were sad and he looked defeated. "Let's just eat." He said tiredly. "I just want to eat."

Haley nodded. "Lucas, I love you." She tried. "Just let me do this."

"I don't have a choice Haley." He mumbled. "I don't have a choice."

**Next up:** Brooke and Haley share some more choice words. Nathan and Brooke's relationship gets a little bit hotter.

**A/N:** I think I need to explain Haley. Look at this from her point of view. The guy she thought she was in love with she really isn't and their marriage is over. Lucas who she's known her whole life is the guy she really wants and she finally gets that taste of happiness when Brooke arrives pregnant. It's a lot to handle in such a short period of time. She knows that she loves him but fear is literally immobilizing her and it's hard to explain that to him.


	11. Chapter 10: Have You Ever

**Missing You**

**By:** Sari

**Summary: **Futurefic. Laley. Brathan. Naley. Brucas. One act of passion can change everyone's lives forever.

**Chapter 10: Have You Ever**

Brooke Davis never thought she would be sitting here waiting to give the girl who ruined her life some advice. She didn't think she'd be big enough of a person to actually care about her ex-boyfriend enough to talk to the dirty mistress who stole him away. But the truth was that she cared about Lucas. She really had to thank him because if they had still been together she never would have discovered her relationship she was building with Nathan. Without this she wouldn't be bringing a wonderful new life into this world. So she would sit here and play nice with Haley, if only to make sure that Lucas was going to be as happy as she was.

She looked up as the redhead in question sat down. She smiled tightly. "Hey, thanks for meeting me here." She started. "I know this is a million types of awkward, but I just wanted to talk to you."

Haley nodded. "No, I've wanted to speak with you too. I didn't know how it would even be right for me to approach you though. I'm glad you called."

Brooke traced the rim of her water glass with a manicured finger. "I heard you were leaving for a couple of weeks."

"I'm leaving today and I'll be back this Sunday, it's not a couple of weeks. It's one week—exactly." Haley said sighing. "Did Lucas tell you about our argument?"

"Something like that." Brooke said. "He told me that you were leaving and that he was upset. I filled in the rest on my own."

Haley nodded. "I'm not breaking up with him; I don't know why he thinks that."

Brooke raised an eyebrow. "You don't know why he thinks that? Come on Haley, you're smarter than this. You're running off to a different state to get away from a problem he can't even help. Do you know how cowardly you look? You guys ruined the lives of two other people to get together and then you cave at the earliest sign of problems? I hope you didn't expect the path to happiness to be covered in rose petals because that's not real life. Real life is facing your problems and moving on."

Haley looked down at the table. Without meeting her eyes she stiffly stated: "what I am doing or what I am not doing is no business of yours Brooke. I don't have to justify my actions to you."

"You see that's where you're wrong; because the minute you decided that kissing my boyfriend was right you made every subsequent action my damn business. Now, I admit that the breakup wasn't the worst thing that happened to me. It sucked at the time, but it gave me clarity, and now I'm okay with all this and I want Lucas to be happy. This, whatever the hell _this_ is, is not making him happy. It's making him miserable that the girl he's known and probably loved since the day he was born can't even speak to him."

Haley stood up, "look Brooke, I appreciate you looking out for him. But for once in your damn life just mind your own business."

"Haley, wait!" Brooke called, shooting up from her seat and grabbing the girl's arm as she headed for the door of the small café. "What is this about? It can't be about me, I don't want him, and I can promise you that."

"Mind your own business Brooke. For once, that's all I ask."

Brooke shook her head in disbelief. "Haley if you walk out that door and you get on that plane, you're going to lose him. And that's my fault because I made him wait for me for years. He's not going to put himself through that heartache again. He risked everything for you and now you're leaving. I don't like you Haley, but I don't want to sit here knowing I could have done something to prevent it."

"Well ease your conscience Brooke, you tried." Haley said yanking her arm away. "I love him. I really do, but I need to leave."

Brooke watched in disbelief as Haley walked away from her. Numbly, Brooke punched in the numbers to Lucas's cell. "She's gone Luke. I tried, and she still walked away."

Brooke hung up before she could hear the anguished sounds of Lucas's tears.

* * *

"Sometimes I feel like life is just one huge disaster after the next." Nathan said to the group of friends sitting in Peyton's living room. They all had gathered in an amazing show of unity to support Lucas who had been devastated to find out that Haley had left.

Lucas sighed. "I think I'm out of profound statements for the rest of my lifetime." He said taking a sip of his beer.

"You think we're being unfair?" Peyton asked the group. "I mean, no one really knows what's going through Haley's mind right now. There could be something going on that we don't know about."

"Obviously there's something going on." Lucas said. "But Haley knows that the situation we're dealing with isn't stable. We've barely been together a month and the whole time we were walking on eggshells to prevent as much damage as we could. Now when things finally have a change at being better she pulls this stunt and refuses to talk to me or listen to me. It's not fair." He said defeated. "It's not fair."

"Well I say we don't mope about it." Brooke declared, pouring herself a shot of cranberry juice. "Come on guys, I can't drink but all of you can so fill up your drinks I have a toast to make."

Everyone laughed and filled their drinks. "Go ahead Brooke." Jake prodded.

"Here's to us. Through good times and bad we've been there for each other and we've made it all these years pretty much intact. Here's to Peyton and Jake who constantly remind the rest of us that there is such a thing as a relationship that even though it isn't the classic storybook romance, love can bloom and persevere. Here is to Nathan and I, who were brave enough to take a chance on a relationship that no one believed would ever happen. Here is to Lucas and Haley, because they started this group, they shook it up, and eventually they'll get through all this and be the two constants that they have always been for all of us."

Brooke finished up and everyone touched glasses. "Alright guys, party's over." Jake said. "It's midnight and unlike all you rich people, Peyton and I actually work."

They all rolled their eyes, but said their goodbyes. Brooke and Nathan were the only two left standing in the hall once Lucas also said he was retiring.

"So, I'm not tired and you're not either so what should we do now?" Brooke said smiling.

"Actually" Nathan said in a teasing voice. "I'd much rather go to bed."

She smacked him on his arm. "No you wouldn't, come on, entertain me!" She whined.

Nathan laughed. "Alright, coffee shop down the street is 24hrs. Let's go there."

The coffee shop was not crowded as expected, and after ordering their drinks they were both trapped in a comfortable silence neither felt like breaking. It went on like this for some time until Brooke finally decided to speak up. "So there is this party that my boss is throwing for me" she started. "It's a pretty big deal because she's giving me my own independent line. No more making clothes under someone else name, it's going to be hoes over bros out on its own."

Nathan squeezed her hand. "Congratulations Brooke!"

She blushed. "Yeah, I'm pretty excited. My dream is finally coming true. I get introduced to my staff and everything in a week or so, but for now she just wants to introduce everyone to me."

"So you need a date." Nathan deduced correctly.

"Well I can't show up to my own party without an escort and what better escort can I ask for than a hot basketball star?" Brooke said coyly.

"Well when you put it that way…"

"So you'll be my date?" Brooke asked squealing happily.

"I'd be honored Miss Davis."

She clapped her hands in excitement. "I hope you have a good tuxedo." She said suspiciously. "When's the last time you actually had to look decent? I'm sure girls go crazy over your sweaty look."

Nathan laughed. "They don't go crazy over me sweating on them I think, but I usually don't have a problem catching their attention."

Brooke suddenly looked insecure. "Really? So when you're out there you get a lot of propositions?"

The tone of the conversation suddenly turned serious: "would that bother you?" Nathan asked curiously.

Brooke looked away. "Well I guess it wouldn't be any right of mine for it to bother me."

Nathan gave her a penetrating look. "I guess you're right, you don't have a right for it to bother you, but does it?"

"Do you want it to?"

"I just want an honest answer."

Brooke sighed. "Nate, look, I know you're like this notorious bad boy but I don't want to play any games here. I've played enough games to last a lifetime."

"Brooke all I want is for you to answer me yes or no: does it bother you that girls hit on me?"

"Yes." Brooke said blushing. "Yes okay? I get kind of pissed and I want to punch some girls out."

Nathan grinned and then kissed her softly on the forehead. "Thank you for being honest."

She nodded. "This doesn't mean we have to rush into a relationship now does it?" Brooke asked him.

He laughed at her again and then dropped some money on the table for their coffee. "No Brooke I'm not going to ask you to marry me just this second. I am going to ask you back to you room though because all of a sudden I had the urge to ravish you."

She smacked him. "No sex for you, you haven't even taken me out on our first date!" Brooke cried scandalized.

He arched an eyebrow. "I meant a pretty heavy make out session but nice to know what you're thinking."

Nathan was suddenly grateful that the citizens of New York were used to noise at all hours because the screech Brooke let out at that late hour was loud enough that people in California heard it.

* * *

"Hey it's late, can I help you? The great Chris Keller doesn't see people this late." The man said stopping Haley as she entered the studio Chris usually played in.

"Is he here?" She asked.

"It depends on who _you_ are."

Haley rolled her eyes. "I need to talk to Chris, and he's here I know he is. So either tell me where he is or get out of my way."

"Wow, feisty one." More light suddenly flooded the lobby of the small studio. "Oh crap, Mrs. Scott, I didn't know it was you my apologies."

She waved it off. "It's okay; I wasn't being too kind either. How are you Marco?"

Marco was Chris' personal assistant. He pretty much waited on him hand on foot evey minute of every day. The guy was a saint to put up with such a tool.

"I've seen better days, and it looks like you have to. Chris is in a closed session right now, you want to wait for him?"

Haley had to fight back tears. "Tell him I'm here, he'll want to see me."

Marco looked unsure but seeing her face quickly acquiesced. As Haley expected, a few minutes later, Chris was looking at her with his usual expression—pure uninhibited lust.

"Don't even think about it Chris, I'm not here for a booty call." Haley hissed. "I actually need to talk to you about something serious. Can you not be an ass for about five minutes?"

"Most chicks dig my ass, but anything for a pretty lady." He said with a wolfish grin.

Haley rolled her eyes. She really didn't understand how she could have slept with such a disgusting person. She didn't plan to beat around the bush so she just said it outright. "I'm pregnant."

Chris's mouth dropped open.

Haley sighed. Her life was way too complicated.

**A/N:** It's been a while but here is the latest part. Worth the wait?


	12. Chapter 11: Anatomy of an Affair

**Missing You**

**By:** Sari

**Summary: **Futurefic. Laley. Brathan. Naley. Brucas. One act of passion can change everyone's lives forever.

**Chapter 11: Anatomy of an Affair**

"You're pregnant?" Chris repeated. "As in with child, as in with _my _child."

"Yes, that's what I said." Haley said sighing. "Very pregnant with your kid."

"Don't you like…have a husband?" Chris stuttered, still not quite believing what he was hearing.

She looked at him strangely. "Well yes I did at the time, now I have a boyfriend. Either way it's not too convenient that I'm pregnant and you happen to be the father."

"You have a boyfriend?" He asked with interest. "You work fast Haley, why didn't you give me a call after things went sour?"

She snorted. "Because the only way I would sleep with you is if I was drunk, high, or absolutely insane." She ran a hand through her red hair. "Which got me into this predicament in the first place so don't get any ideas."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"None of your business. I didn't come here to chat about my love life. I came here to tell you you're the father."

"Indulge me a little, call it parental right or something, but I want to know the guy who's going to be raising my baby."

"Lucas." Haley mumbled.

Chris nearly fell out of his chair laughing. "Lucas? Blonde kid Lucas? Nathan's brother Lucas? Jesus Haley when you want to make a statement you make a statement! God what kind of mess is this! You divorce your husband who you've been cheating on for god knows how long for his older brother and then end up pregnant by the guy you're cheating with which is going to mess up the new relationship because he's related to Nathan and he'll be pissed that you were unfaithful. Wow, I love the soap opera your life has conveniently turned itself into Hales. You did a bang up job of royally screwing yourself."

Haley groaned. "Shut up Chris, I don't even know why I'm here."

"Why are you here?" Chris asked. "Not that I don't enjoy a visit from a hot girl like you, but you know me Hales I'm not father material this was a wasted visit."

"I just thought I should tell you my decision since this is your kid too." Haley said suddenly growing quite serious and refusing to make eye contact.

"You're going to have an abortion." Chris said carefully.

Haley nodded, tears threatening to fall. "Yeah, I'm going to have an abortion."

They sat in silence and Haley couldn't help but wonder what was going through Chris's mind. She had made up her mind nearly seconds after the doctor had told her the time the baby had been conceived. There was no way in hell the baby could have been Lucas's she was still trapped in her loveless marriage and it couldn't have been Nathan's because they had stopped having sex long before their marriage had ended. She could remember with perfect clarity the day she found out she was pregnant. It would have been a disaster on either side. If it had been Lucas's she would have been battling Brooke for attention and because it was Chris's she now had to hide it from Lucas. He wouldn't understand why she had gone to Chris. He wouldn't have understood the utter loneliness she had felt in her own marriage and the void that Chris had filled.

She hated the guy, in all honesty, but when you married too young and did a job like she did constantly on the road and away from the reassurance she so desperately needed from her husband she found comfort where she could. Chris just had the luck of being in the right place at the right time, and from one night eventually grew into a two month affair while she had been on tour. She didn't regret it but she didn't need the added stress in her life of explaining herself to Lucas.

Finally, Chris crossed the room and picked up a phone. "So how about some pizza? It seems like we could both use it."

Haley smiled, and she knew she could count on Chris to support her. "Sure that sounds great."

* * *

Brooke groaned in frustration as she looked through the racks of dresses. She'd been shopping for what seemed like hours for the perfect dress for the party her boss was throwing her and she had nothing. Nothing!

"Brooke you look like you're going to pop a blood vessel. Let's take a break and go eat something." Peyton suggested.

Her eyes narrowed. "Do I look like I need to eat? I can't even fit into any dresses!"

"Well Brookie, maybe if we looked into some of the maternity stores…"

Brooke turned accusing eyes on her. "What?! You want me to shop in some trailer trash maternity store!"

"Not all maternity clothes are for white trash Brooke, actually none of them are what are you even talking about? We're going to stop this mad search and look for a place to eat and then when we're done we're going to go to this great maternity place I know and then you're going to find a beautiful dress to go to your party with okay?"

Brooke nodded sucking in a calming breath. "I'm sorry, I'm a little stressed."

Peyton nodded chuckling to herself. "Way to state the obvious Brooke, but you've already gotten through the hard part which is getting the promotion and your own line. It's going to be fine."

"Oh yeah I know that already, I was talking about Nathan."

Peyton's smile widened. "Ohhh Nathan, what about Nathan?"

Brooke smacked her. "Get that look out of your eye Peyt!"

"Why should I? My Brookie's falling in love with Nathan Scott of all people. It's so amazingly bizarre." Peyton looked contemplative for a second. "Well I guess not, I mean you and Nathan are pretty much the same type of person. It's a wonder you two didn't notice the chemistry sooner."

"Well we were a little preoccupied with our significant others." Brooke pointed out. "It's not like I was worried about being alone when I was with Lucas."

Peyton sighed. "God, poor Lucas. What is up with Haley?"

Brooke shrugged. "Honestly I don't know Peyt, and I don't want to know. I've seen enough drama in the past two months than I have in a long time and unlike high school I am not used to it nor do I thrive on it. I just want to live the rest of my day's drama free."

Peyton nodded in agreement. "I know, but with all of us in the mix that's never the case. Especially now that you're pretty much the headline of the year. Don't look now but we've got company."

Brooke looked outside the boutique window and sure enough there were paparazzi standing outside being pushed back by an annoyed store owner. Brooke's mouth opened in surprise. "Those people are here for me?"

"By the way they're screaming your name and asking for a comment I would think they are." Peyton said giggling. "I guess being the new squeeze of newly divorced hot shot Nathan Scott has some unexpected perks attached to it."

"This is a perk?" Brooke asked in amazement, slightly dazed. "I'm being chased by the paparazzi and I'm supposed to be excited?"

"Just think, the old Brooke would have thrived off of this." Peyton reminded her.

"The old Brooke was not two months pregnant and tired." Brooke complained. "How in hell am I going to get out the store now?"

"M'am, I think I can help you with that." An associate said looking apologetic. "This isn't the first star sighting we've had at our store, we're quite used to this actually."

Brooke followed the woman with a sigh; she was definitely going to have a talk with Nathan about this.

* * *

Haley loved California. It wasn't like the cold, hard honesty of the big city. It was filled with warmth and friendly people; it was the land that launched a million careers. It was the American embodiment of living the dream. It's why she always felt at home here. She had embraced that philosophy in high school. She had a dream and she had followed it, and the road to where she was now hadn't been easy but it was filled with fun and rewarding moments she would never take back.

Sitting in the clinic waiting for her appointment and clutching Chris's hand she felt at peace. It was strange; she realized that, she wasn't broken up about this decision. That she wasn't feeling the pain of indecision, but she thought she was making the best choice of her life. Like it or not, she was an up and coming star. A baby born out of wedlock with her touring partner? It would have destroyed her image faster than she could release her next song, and not to mention the problems she was going to have to face when she got home. She didn't need to add baby drama to that equation. So it was better this way, here in a discrete location that promised her privacy. All she had to worry about was getting in and out without anyone seeing her. Thankfully Chris was a pro in that area.

She really had to thank Chris. He had been amazing throughout the whole ordeal. He hadn't questioned her once. He had simply understood. As much as she loathed him she had to admit that when she needed it most he was always on her level, he always understood her. Maybe that's why it had been so easy to cross that line with him.

"Miss James?" The nurse called. Chris had to nudge her out of her reverie. She didn't even recognize her name had been called. She'd been Mrs. Scott for so long now she could barely remember her life before.

"You know" Chris said conversationally. "If you marry Lucas you won't even have to change your last name. That's pretty convenient."

She smiled. "Chris, shut up."

He shrugged. "I got you to smile didn't I?"

"I can't handle you being sweet right now. Do me a favor and keep on acting like the jerk we all know and love."

"Your wish is my command."

The procedure wasn't long and a half hour later Haley walked out of the clinic free of a pregnancy. She was sure she should have felt some type of feeling. She expected anything other than the complete emptiness that had settled in the pit of her stomach. Frankly, it had been anticlimactic. The task was so simple and the doctor had walked her through it as she performed each task. It had been clinical, professional, and detached.

Her baby was gone.

She lied, she wasn't feeling empty. She was feeling overwhelmingly _sad_.

**Next up:** Brooke's party. Chris and Haley weren't as careful as they thought. Lucas gets some interesting news in the form of a tabloid.

**A/N:** For once, the lack of updating was not my fault. was having issues letting me upload. I had to email support and it has now been fixed. I'm sorry for the wait!


	13. Chapter 12: Love Is Not Enough

**Missing You**

**By:** Sari

**Summary: **Futurefic. Laley. Brathan. Naley. Brucas. One act of passion can change everyone's lives forever.

**Chapter 12: Love Is Not Enough**

Lucas, Nathan, and Jake were sitting in the living room of Nathan's apartment waiting for their girls, or more accurately Nathan and Jake's girls to get dressed. Brooke's party was in an hour and a half and they had decided to go all out for the event. Not only was the whole affair black tie, but they had rented a limo for the night and had reservations at a swanky new restaurant for desert. Brooke's accomplishment was a big deal and the group hadn't done anything this significant together since prom.

Lucas smiled sadly to himself. "I wish Haley was here." He said softly. "This is something all of us need to be doing together; it's so weird with her not here."

Jake nodded. "I know what you mean man, but you know it would have been awkward if she had come. Brooke kind of hates her."

"I just want her home." Lucas said sighing and staring at his hands. "I know I said that I couldn't take her back if she came home but I was angry and stupid, I can't imagine my life without her in it. It just _hurts_."

"You know man, you just got to let her do her thing and come back." Nathan said. "I did the stupid thing in high school, I got angry and I got bitter and it took us ages to get back to where we were and even then it wasn't that innocent relationship we started out with. Truthfully it was probably from then that our marriage started to slowly fall apart. It took a couple of years but it was inevitable." Nathan said, hindsight making the situation clear. Nathan didn't hold any grudges toward Lucas. The fact of the matter was Haley had been his first love and she would always have that status for him and he wanted her to be happy. He couldn't think of a better person for her to be with than his brother. "You guys will work it out in the end. If there were two people who were more right for each other, it's you two." Nathan said.

"I really got to thank you man." Lucas said look at his brother gratefully.

Nathan looked confused. "For what?"

"For being my brother, I thought this would be the end of us and it's just made it better. I just got to thank you for not letting all this shit that happened ruin our relationship."

"You're my brother and one of my best friends." Nathan said. "I didn't want to lose that bond."

"Well personally" Jake interjected. "I'm just glad I didn't have to choose sides. You two switching girls made this a whole lot easier."

Lucas threw one of the pillows on the couch at his friend. "Thanks for the input Jake, not needed or wanted, but thanks."

"Hey you know, I strive to please" Jake said laughing. He glanced at his watch, "but the girls are getting into the red zone when it comes to time."

"I'm not going in there to get them." Lucas said.

Nathan looked to Jake. "I'm not going either."

"Neither of you cowards have to come and get us we're ready." Brooke said rolling her eyes.

Peyton and Brooke stood before the three guys looking stunning. Brooke had just begun stunning and after a mini breakdown had took Peyton shopping with her and bought some of the most expensive maternity clothes Nathan had seen but they were beautiful. The dress she had on made her glow, and Peyton, well Peyton always glowed.

"Peyton you look beautiful." Jake said beaming.

"You look beautiful too Brooke." Nathan said in awe. Lucas nodded his agreement at both of his friend's statements. "You guys look really great." He added.

Brooke couldn't help but notice the sadness in Lucas's eyes. She would always care for him; he'd been the love of her life since high school. "C'mon Luke, cheer up, for me? Please?" She pleaded.

Lucas smiled just for her, but he couldn't do anything about the sadness invading his heart. "I'm sorry Brooke."

"The limo awaits us guys; let's go welcome my new fashion line!" She said excited.

* * *

Haley sat in the airport with Chris taking in her last sights of San Diego. "Well I have to thank you for a wonderful week." She said looking at Chris earnestly. "You really helped me more than you could ever know and I'm thankful."

"I'm not a jerk all the time Haley." Chris said joking. "But seriously, I was just as much a part of this as you were, there was nothing I could do but try to help fix the mess that I made."

Haley nodded, she was apprehensive about what was waiting for her back in New York.

"Worried?" He asked.

"God I'm a wreck." Haley said laughing. "It's funny, you know? Lucas and I, I would have never thought that we would ever get together. He's been such a constant in my life from day one. We've been friends since we were children and through all the boyfriends, the lies, and the fame I knew if there was something I could count on it would be him. But when we crossed that line, everything changed. It was wonderful and new and it felt so right, but with those feelings comes so much more responsibility. All of a sudden I have to make sure that my decisions wouldn't hurt him because if it hurt him it would kill me."

"Haley, why didn't you tell him?"

She guffawed. "Tell him that I pregnant with your baby? The guy who almost ruined my marriage in high school, slept with Brooke, and who I proceeded to have a two month affair with that he knows nothing about? Are you insane?"

"If he loves you, and I'm just going to guess here and say he does, then it'll hurt but he'll understand." Chris sighed. "Look, I'm not the best at relationships. Hell, I hate them, but I do know one thing that hearing the truth from the one you love is a whole lot better than hearing it from someone else, or worse hearing it too late."

"I was scared Chris." Haley said, knowing her argument sounded weak. "I was scared and insecure. Brooke had just found out she was pregnant and I just paled in comparison. And it's not only that I just…"

"…didn't want the baby." Chris finished.

Haley looked down ashamed.

Chris smiled kindly at her. "Hey look at me." He gently grasped her chin and pulled her face up so she could see the earnest expression in his eyes. It was rare that Chris Keller showed any emotion other than arrogance but he always cared for Haley and he understood her. She was the only girl who had ever understood him too. "It's okay you know. I mean you're barely 25 and you have an amazing career ahead of you. A baby would have destroyed that. And I'm not the one you want to have a kid with." He grinned "though that would have been one talented kid."

Haley laughed, and she had to fight for it not turn into a sob. "I think it was a girl." She said softly. "Our girl would have been damn talented."

Chris squeezed her hand. "No regrets Haley. Come on, promise me. I don't want you to regret this."

She nodded as she heard her plane's boarding begin. "Thank you Chris, and no matter what any tabloid or spurned lover says you're a good guy."

He smiled. "Yeah, I know, I'm just waiting for the rest of the world to figure it out."

* * *

The party was in full swing and Lucas had about enough of dancing and mingling with Brooke's high fashion friends. Much to his chagrin, she had made him tag along with her and Nathan while she showed off her new boyfriend. He was happy for the both of them and he appreciated her attempts at getting his mind off of Haley but he didn't _want_ his mind off of Haley. He wanted her back so badly it was physically hurting him.

"Lucas Scott, well this is just damn convenient!" A voice he hadn't heard in ages called from behind him. Lucas turned around in surprise. "Rachel?" He asked in amazement. "Rachel Gatina?"

The redhead grinned in response running up to him and giving him an air kiss. "Wow, look at you. The years have been good to you. You keep getting handsome."

Lucas really looked at Rachel. She was beautiful as usual. "And you keep getting more and more stunning. What are you doing here?"

She waved her hand. "I'm a freelance writer and I was given the lovely task of writing about Brooke's awesome party. You must be really proud of her, you two are still together right?"

He smiled. "No, we're not."

Rachel's mouth made a little 'o' in surprise. "Wow, okay never would have thought you two would break up again after you fought so hard for her last time. So the tabloids are not bullshitting me this time. Brooke and Nathan are really together?"

"Yeah, it's for the best." He said shrugging.

"Okay, well I actually am kind of glad I got to see you. I got the most interesting delivery at my office today and I thought I'd show it to Nathan but maybe it'd make more sense if I showed it to you." Rachel said. "You want to come out to my car with me for a second?"

He looked confused. "What's this about Rachel?"

Rachel looked nervous. "Well I might have stretched the truth just a little. I didn't come here because I was assigned to the story; I kind of requested it because I knew there was a pretty big chance all of you guys would be here. Haley and I have never seen eye to eye so when you guys saw the headline I didn't want your first impression of me in such a long time to be that I was still harboring a grudge, because I'm not."

They were at her car now; parked in the parking garage across from the hotel the party was being held. Rachel was still chatting away but Lucas was hardly paying attention. "Rachel" He finally said impatiently. "I get it, and I doubt anyone still thinks you're the bitch you were in high school."

She pulled a large manila envelope out of her car and opened it to reveal a magazine cover. "What's this?" He said taking it from her.

"It's a mock up of what the next magazine cover is going to look like. I have some friends in layout and design who know that I knew Haley and they gave it to me."

It was a blown up picture of Haley and Chris Keller walking outside a free clinic in California. Lucas closed his eyes and then opened them, not believing the headline. In large bold typing read: "AMERICA'S SWEETHEART AND BAD BOY ROCKER AT ABORTION CLINIC."

"Lucas?" Rachel said softly. "Are you and Haley…together?"

He smiled bitterly. "We were, but I don't think so."

"Are you going to be okay?"

Lucas nodded and gave Rachel a quick hug. "Yeah, I'm going to be fine." He pulled a scrap of paper out of his pocket and scribbled his number on it. "Give me a call when you're free okay? I'm sure the gang wouldn't mind seeing you again. I know Brooke especially wouldn't mind seeing you. You two were really good friends once right?"

Rachel nodded and smiled. "Alright, and take care of yourself Lucas. I know we weren't the best of friends but you were one of the good guys back in high school. I can't pretend that I know much about you but I don't believe you could have strayed too far from that person and I really want to be friends because we never got that chance in high school."

"I would really like that too." Lucas said genuinely, and watched Rachel get in her car and drive away.

**Next Up:** Haley has some explaining to do. Rachel proves that she really does want to be friends.

**A/N**: I would love some reviews guys, I haven't been getting many for this story so please review!


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